Companion
by Blind to Reality
Summary: This is, literally, a companion to The Only One: this story takes on Keiden's point of view. . . no pun intended.
1. Chapter 1

Opening my eyes, I gave a great start, gasping loudly as everything seemed to hit me all at once: the cool caress of the wind; the energetic rustle of what sounded like leaves; the swaying sensation that only vertigo could bring. Struggling to maintain what little balance I had, I tried to remember where I was. The only place that came to mind was practically impossible— but a single brush of my fingertips along a rough, crusty surface told me otherwise.

I was on a branch. And, judging by the rather frigid temperature of the breeze, I was on a very _high_ branch. But how in heaven's name did I end up here? I racked my brains again, searching for something, anything, that could help explain this odd predicament.

Nothing.

I couldn't recall a thing.

A bit nervous now, I strained my ears against the roaring wind, not wanting to admit to myself that I felt extremely vulnerable. Pushing past the noises of my immediate surroundings, my ears finally focused on—

_Somebody's coming._

I stiffened, my back turning to stone. Yes, somebody was definitely headed in my direction. The slight _ka-thunk_ of each footfall led me to believe that this person was male, but this discovery didn't make me feel any better. He was getting closer, too: a simple calculation indicated he'd reach my location in forty-five seconds.

_Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . . _

His heartbeat grew ever stronger, and, suddenly, I knew exactly who the beat belonged to. Without further ado, I shifted my stance on the branch, ready to climb down before he'd see me. However, even the pads of my feet could feel my sandal's soles catching on a small knot; I was falling through the chilly air, too shocked at my clumsiness to scream.

I picked up a sharp _whish_, thanking my lucky stars that, even after all that, the man still hadn't sensed me. The sound of his heartbeat slowly faded away.

My legs hit the grassy earth first, sending hot waves of pain up my spine. _This isn't good. . ._

Before I could even come up with an appropriate curse, my head cracked against the ground, the impact knocking the breath out of my lungs. My eyes closed of their own accord.


	2. Chapter 2

It was windy again— was I somehow on another branch? No. . . it was _me_ moving this time, not the air. But why was I moving?

_Ugh. . . my head. . . _A tiny moan escaped my lips.

My brain was practically bouncing around in my skull, beating reckless patterns against the tender bones; my legs felt terrible as well— I didn't need my fingertips to know how swollen they'd become.

I couldn't have been on the ground anymore; whatever I was resting on now was much too fleshy for that. Wait a minute. . . fleshy?

Sure enough, the long bands holding my torso and legs were actually arms, and the warm wall enveloping my left side turned out to be a chest.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._

The sound of this man's heart was achingly familiar, though I was sure I'd never heard it before. The strong thrum against my shoulder called to me in a way that had me reaching stupidly for it, momentarily forgetting to keep my guard up. My fingers touched the brick that could only be his sternum, clasping at something soft and thick. A shirt.

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

The syllables were clipped, proper. He sounded rather uncomfortable, as if consoling a stranger wasn't his top priority— and I couldn't blame him. But there was something else. . . my befuddled mind did the work for me, fishing two words that I never realized I knew from the deepest pits of my consciousness:

"Neji. . . Hyuga. . ."

It had to be him. That heartbeat couldn't possibly belong to anyone else, I was certain of it.

His breathing stuttered, and a jolt of fire sprinted up and down my legs when the wind ceased to whistle into my ears. The man's grip on me had gotten tighter for only a moment, holding me closer to him as he seemingly attempted to regain his composure. At this point, the pain was too much to bear.

"What— what did you say?" came a whisper.

I became limp again.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything was still, quiet. I kept my eyes closed, wanting to take in my surroundings without any interruptions: a light blanket covered me from the waist down; a timid beeping sound spurted coldly from the other side of what I guessed to be a wall; a metallic smell whirred through my nostrils.

Groggy, I focused on three heartbeats that were headed my way. One of them belonged to Neji, while a gurgling thump came from another man. . . and a fluttering pitter-patter laid within a female. She sounded familiar as well, but I couldn't quite place her name.

"I'll make this quick," she said. Her tone was oddly bitter. I wondered why. "I hate these kinds of procedures." _Oh_. _Wait— procedure?_ "Neji, you take her left side— Kakashi-sensei, take her right."

There was a new pressure on my shoulders and wrists, but I wasn't afraid; I could easily break out of these men's grasps, if need be. I turned myself into a plank under them, preparing myself. The blanket was removed, causing my toes to twitch in the crisp air, and everything became clear in my mind: the girl was going to reset the bones in my legs by hand! Why would she do that?

I urgently searched through the memories I'd already gathered since I'd woken up: two medics, just down the hallway, talking about "chakra" and "medical ninjutsu." From what I'd heard, I'd managed to conclude that the medics transferred chakra into their patients, replenishing their reserves and healing them— no blood, no surgery. Extraordinary, to say the least. . . but why couldn't this girl do the same thing for me?

It hit me then: I didn't have any chakra. So. . . this standard technique wouldn't work on me—

Different points on my legs pinched beneath me, grinding sharply under my skin. The cracking sounds were awful; they only accentuated the boiling agony in my bones. I would've rather snapped the fractures myself, and I tried evincing that by clenching my fists and pulling myself away from the grips of the two men. Opting to appear strong, I closed my eyes even tighter; opening them would only reveal how disgustingly weak I really was— the treacherous tears were brimming thickly behind my lids.

"Hold her down!" the girl said loudly.

"Believe me, we're trying!"

Neji. His hands pushed me down again, the pressure much stronger this time. The man on my right did the same, the pulse in his palms indicating his strain.

_Let me go_, I wanted to scream, thrashing under their powerful fingers. _Just go away!_

Before long, the procedure was done. Attempting to distract myself from the waves of pain coursing through me, I directed my attention to the comforting _buh-dummm_ on my left.

"Glad that's over. . ." the girl said. I now understood why she hated doing this, and I fought the urge to open my eyes and point out that the procedure was _a lot_ worse for the patient. "I was about ready to chain her to the bed. . ."

Hmm. . . was my physical strength beyond their normal expectations?

"Sorry about that," said a sheepish voice from my right. _Kakashi_-_sensei_. That was what the girl had called him. Sensei, huh? He had to be much older, then; the careful gush that was his heartbeat pumped in a way that could only mean he'd seen many more moons than everyone else in this room.

My left ear perked up at the _thrmm-dum_ entering the room, and I winced inwardly at the sound of crisp material rubbing against itself— the sterile robes of the other medics were already starting to set my teeth on edge.

"Sakura, you're needed in room two." _That's her name— Sakura! She's a medic, and a really good one at that. But. . . wait a second. . . how do I know this? I still can't remember anything that happened before I woke up on the branch!_

"Right," Sakura replied. With a delicate shuffle, her _bdm bdm bdm bdm_ left the room.

There was a flustered scratching noise at my right. "Hmph. . . I still need to file the scouting report. . . I guess I'll see ya around, Neji."

Suddenly, I was alone with him, with the young man who must have carried me all the way to his village's hospital. I had a feeling he'd interrogate me— and why not, given that the first thing I'd said to him was his name?

"You can cut the act," he said to me. Of course he knew; I was just grateful he hadn't pressed this sooner. I finally opened my eyes, directing them at what I assumed to be the ceiling. "How do you know my name?"

"You're certainly not one to beat around the bush," I muttered, simply relaying my thoughts to him. "Two can play at that game. I don't know how I know your name. I just do." Vaguely surprised at how willing I was to give Neji this information, I plowed on. "I don't know where I'm from. And I don't know how I ended up in the forest, either." It'd be his problem if he didn't believe me, but I figured he deserved the truth.

"Then what _do _you know?" he retorted, now impatient.

I couldn't help but smile at his shift in tone. "I know my name." _Huh. . . almost forgot about that._ The effect of this tiny grain of knowledge eased my stress by a few degrees.

There came a heavy sigh. "It's a start. . . what's your name?"

"Keiden." The way the word had come to mind erased every inkling of doubt.

"Keiden. . .?" I realized he was searching for a surname. However, there was no trace of such a name in my head.

"Just Keiden."

Neji wasn't talking anymore, but I could still hear his questions buzzing around the room. Did that mean he was socially awkward or something? I decided to guide the conversation in the direction I was certain he was travelling.

"I can tell you don't trust me, but that's really all I can offer." My hands wandered to the blanket that was once again placed on top of my legs. The material felt nice, and it smelled clean in a cozy way. "Poor repayment, I know. . . especially since you saved my life." Well, it _was_ true. I wriggled around, trying to get more comfortable without showing Neji just how painful the small movement was. "Wait— I _can _tell you about what happened before you found me."

I must have piqued his interest, because his breathing pattern changed for a fraction of a second. "But I thought you—"

"I said I don't know how I ended up in the forest, but I _do _know how this," I poked one of my mangled knees, "happened."

"Tell me." I almost laughed out loud at the sudden, commanding nuance in those two words— it seemed like Neji was used to being in control. For a moment, I imagined a figure folding his arms and glaring at me.

_All right, then._ "The earliest memory I have is me standing on the topmost branch of a tree. I have no idea how I got there." Ugh, it seemed even more preposterous when spoken aloud! "Then I heard somebody approaching me from behind— a man, by the sound of his footfalls. As he got closer, I recognized him—"

The sound of a swift rush of air tickled my ears. Was Neji planning on interrupting me already?

"I don't know how!" I exclaimed hastily, cutting the breath off. "But I knew he was dangerous, and I knew I had to get away from him. Of course, clumsy me, I turned too quickly on the branch and lost my footing. The man was gone before I hit the ground."

"Who was this man?" Neji probed sharply.

"Kabuto Yakushi." The name came so fluidly, just as the recognition had in the forest. What perturbed me the most was the fact that someone as perilous as Kabuto had managed to slip away, unnoticed, from the likes of Neji, Sakura, and Kakashi.

"And you recognized him, without him ever telling you his name." That most certainly _wasn't_ a question.

"I know where you're going with this," I said. "You think I'm a spy." Neji didn't answer. Figuring I was right, I continued. "I can't honestly say that I'm _not_ a spy, though. You have every right to be suspicious." Heck, even I was suspicious! "But hear this— I don't like the thought of me being a spy. If I remember my past, and if I turn out to be the enemy, I'll willingly let this village do what they must with me, even if that means ending my life."

"Why go to such extremes?" He didn't sound too enthusiastic.

_Because it's only fair._ "It's the least I can do. After all, if you and your people hadn't displayed such generosity, I'd probably be dead."

He sighed again. "Hn."

What kind of a noise was _that_? This time, I let out some of the laugh I'd been hoarding. "I'll take that as an affirmation."

"Maybe you should go to sleep or something," Neji said, the words annoyed. "You don't seem to be in your right mind."

I was a fool for thinking he hadn't noticed— anyone could've concluded something was off about me after only a few minutes. This revelation wasn't particularly helpful. I had to tread more carefully as I thought about my next move.

"Ah, you think Sakura gave me some heavy painkillers?" I whispered, rotating my arms against the mattress. "No IV's, my friend. Besides, I don't think your normal drugs will work on me— impervious to chakra, remember?" I recalled picking up a few snippets of conversation from my time on the forest floor, even though I'd been swimming in a sea of torture for a greater part of that episode.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

_Shoot_.

"Who said anything about looking?" I uttered, admitting defeat. It wouldn't take long for Neji to figure out that I was different, that I was— I shuddered inwardly— handicapped.

And, sure enough, his sandals scuffed the linoleum path toward my bed, the _buh-dummm_ of his heart trailing lower to the ground.

"You're blind," he whispered to me.

I sighed, bringing my hand to kiss the air and rest for a bit on top of something both soft and hard at the same time. His head. I patted it, a sad congratulations.

"Bingo."


	4. Chapter 4

I'd lost all sense of time during my rather melancholy stay at the hospital, but I wasn't about to complain— the fact that nobody had hounded me the entire time had been an enormous blessing.

Now— seven weeks later, I was informed— as I adjusted the thick band that held my braid together, I proceeded to exit the claustrophobia that was my room; however, a muffled heartbeat stopped directly in front of me, blocking my attempts to head for the apartment which had so graciously been assigned to me.

"The ANBU will not hesitate to kill you." A woman's voice. By the way her domineering pulse coursed throughout her body, I could tell she was a woman of extreme power— not to be trifled with. "As long as I'm alive, Konoha shall remain safe."

In other words, if my memories tainted my seemingly innocent appearance, I was done for. I tilted my head respectfully in her direction.

"I understand. Thank you for allowing me to remain in your village, ma'am." I had a feeling this woman would most likely be the last person I'd truly interact with for a very long time, so I silently prayed for her name, even though I was in absolutely no position to; I'd been given plenty already.

She gave a light harrumph. "You will address me as Lady Tsunade, or Lady Hokage."

I nodded. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Without further ado, the Hokage walked away. Strangely, the sound of her heartbeat became much stronger. Was she wearing something on her front to keep the noise at a bare minimum until she turned away? I pushed the thought aside, tracing the eerily clean walls of the hallways before bumping my palm against an icy knob.

Had I been anyone else, I would've squinted at the sun's cheerful greeting— but, of course, I was Keiden, and I only knew the sun was at its highest because my forehead had started to burn. It felt so good, being outside again; it was as if cotton had been pulled out of my nostrils, my ears: the sweet tang of dozens of species of flowers danced around me, while an entertaining _caw-caw_ tapped against my eardrums.

Not quite wanting to search for my new apartment yet, I decided to go sight-seeing— no pun intended. The chatter of civilians swirled tantalizingly through the air, and I couldn't help but turn on my heel and make my way toward the casual sounds. I didn't want to be rude, so I kept my direct focus away from specific conversations, listening instead to the collective babble that seemed to buoy my muscles along clouds of delicious-smelling soups and breads.

_I must've stumbled into a marketplace_, I thought happily. I fingered the small envelope that was tucked into my back pocket, containing just enough money for me to live comfortably for a while. Though the man in the hospital who'd handed me this token had muttered something about "keeping your nose clean," I'd accepted it with as much gratitude as I could muster. So far, everyone I'd ever talked to had seemed cold toward me— but that was to be expected. I could easily become a threat.

I spent a few more hours in the presumed marketplace— judging by the way the sun whisked down my skin— taking in all the wonderful scents and sounds and textures, before finally convincing myself that it was time to head home.

_Home. . . I kinda like the sound of that. . ._

Then I realized I didn't exactly know where "home" was. Sure, I'd been given directions beforehand, but they were too vague to really amount to anything. I hadn't asked for specificity at the time, either; I didn't want to become more of a burden than I already was.

My fingertips paused at a bench, and I sat quietly, concentrating on the instructions. There was something about one-thousand meters. . . the hospital. . . bricks. . .

I mentally slapped myself— the apartment, made of bricks, was one-thousand meters from the hospital. But was it one-thousand meters north? East? Underground? _Above_ ground? Oh, great. . . now I _really_ felt like an imbecile. I had no idea what the name of the apartment was, let alone that of the landlord. And how would I look, stopping random passerby and asking them where I could find a brick apartment that was one-thousand meters from the hospital? Even in my head it sounded stupid.

I had enough sense to memorize the path I'd taken in this part of the village; I'd simply retrace my steps back to the hospital and work from there, even if it took all night. With a sigh, I stood again, not even needing my hands this time to promptly send myself back to the gates of Konoha's hospital.

"Come on. . . _think_. . ." I growled at myself, sniffing angrily. "How can I find—?" I paused, sniffing again. _That's it! I know what brick smells like!_

I collected myself once more, lifting my nose into the air like some eager puppy, but I didn't care; I was ready to test this hypothesis. Breathing in deeply through my nostrils, I thought about the shale-like clay, hardened into little blocks with tiny bubbles at every turn. Soon enough, the slightly earthy scent tickled the skin above my lips, and I knew I'd struck gold. Not wasting another moment, I picked up my pace and followed the trail, calculating the distance to make absolutely sure.

_Nine-hundred ninety-eight. . . nine-hundred ninety-nine. . . one-thousand!_

The smell was at its strongest here, and my heart jumped with joy. That hadn't been so difficult; all I had to do now was locate the front door and show the landlord my key. I pressed my palms against those heavenly bricks, shuffling along until my fingernails scrabbled against something smooth. Grinning, I knocked.

The door gave an exhausted groan, and a squelchy pulse greeted me.

"Whaddyou want?" The voice was gruff, annoyed.

Feeling brave, I replied, "Arrangements have been made for me to stay here. I have a key— see?" I held out the cool hunk of metal, just a few inches from my face; I didn't want to poke this man's eye out or anything.

"Humph. . . room 302. . . yeah, get in here."

"Thank you, sir." I stuffed the key back into my pocket, feeling around for the doorframe and stepping into the pleasantly warm foyer.

The moment before the landlord shut the door behind me, a sound had me frozen in my tracks— this sound I could pinpoint from anywhere, amongst any crowd. It surprised me that such a noise had ended up _here_, of all places. . . but I had to mentally kick myself again for not considering the fact that somebody had probably been assigned to follow me. But why did it have to be. . .?

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._


	5. Chapter 5

I absolutely adored the smell of the aftereffects of a rainstorm; everything was so clean again, so fresh again. Today seemed like another great day to explore the many wonders Konoha had to behold, but my feet had other plans. Sandal-clad and slightly wet, they dragged me to one of my more familiar haunts: a thick expanse of trees and bushes as far as I could sense. Was it just another forest? A training ground? Either way, I loved it here. There were always new textures to discover, new sounds to commit to memory.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._

One would think this constant thrumming would become excruciatingly irritating, especially since it bounded throughout my brain from the moment I left my apartment in the morning until I fell asleep at night. However, it provided such a profound sense of comfort that I thought nothing of it. I didn't like to think of myself being alone all the time.

It had been a few weeks since he began tailing me, but I knew he had no idea I was aware of his presence. It was actually kind of fun, leading him into new places, only to sit there for hours at a time. I took pride in my mischievous side, forcing him to be confined to one spot all day; I often wondered if he'd go insane from lack of movement, especially when he'd sigh every now and then. Sometimes, I'd coax him to the oddest of locations— the top of a mountain, for example. I'd been bored one day, and I'd decided to give my muscles a much-needed workout by climbing a rock that had, strangely, felt like it had been carved into a giant face. I'd spent quite a bit of time at the top, sensing my tracker where I'd figured the face's nose had been.

This evening, I heard him talking to himself. His voice carried across the breeze like every other noise, but it still stuck with me. He didn't sound very happy, muttering about "needing to train" and "bored out of my wits." I felt a little bad about that— after all, it was my fault to begin with: if I hadn't fallen off the stupid branch in the first place, I wouldn't have needed to go to the hospital. I wouldn't have needed to go to Konoha, period. I didn't want to be a chore, a burden; but the fact that I posed a threat made that little detail null and void.

I decided he'd endured enough torture for one day, so I pushed myself off the still-damp ground and took a moment to sniff out the bricks again. I'd already memorized the trail to my apartment, but it was always nice to be greeted by the homey scent. Soon enough, my feet reached the first step of the narrow stairway in the lobby, my toes tapping against the musty wood. _One. . . two. . . three. . ._

_Fifty-seven. . . fifty-eight. . . fifty-nine. . . sixty._

Cool key met even cooler knob, and I was inside my tiny room once more. The perfect square of this space made things a bit easier in terms of navigation: I'd arranged my meager amount of furniture evenly along each wall, so, if I were standing in the middle of the room, I could find my bed or my stove in a matter of seconds. It felt good to have control over something, even though that something was rather insignificant.

I couldn't resist— I flicked the light on, the instant heat brushing the tips of my ears. Though I'd keep my curtains closed, I knew the light would shine through to the outside world. I liked imagining what he thought of that; a blind person didn't need lights. Maybe he'd finally realize that I'd found him out, that I'd been messing with him all this time. I giggled as I turned the light off again, making my way toward my dresser and changing into a simple tank top and a pair of shorts.

Running my fingers through my hair, I plopped onto my bed, listening to the _buh-dummm_ that never failed to put me to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oi! Open up!"

Startled, I sat bolt upright in my bed, gathering my wits just as another barrage of fists banged on my door.

"I know yer in there! Open up, now!" The landlord? What did he want?

"Coming!" I rasped groggily, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and cheeks. I felt for the doorknob, hastily twisting it before the grumpy man could attack the wood again. "Is something wrong?"

"Ya better believe somethin's wrong!" While his voice sounded _scary_, his heart sounded just plain _scared_. "I jus' got word that yer some kinda spy!"

I froze. "Who told you that?" I breathed, horrified.

"It don' matter! I want ya outta here! Get out!" I imagined a large finger pointing in the direction of the stairway. "Yeh've got thirty seconds, ya hear?"

"But. . . but. . ." I muttered weakly. "But, sir—"

"_Twenty-five seconds_!"

My hands took care of the thinking part, since my brain was still in shock. They grabbed the first outfit within reach, shoving them over my pajamas and stuffing what was left of my money into the pockets. The sandals came last, and before I knew what was happening, I was being manhandled down the stairs and out the door, which slammed angrily behind me.

I simply stood there, trying to make sense of what had happened; I suddenly had nowhere to live, nowhere to sleep. Just like that, the petty life I'd built for myself had vanished.

_Should I tell someone? No, that'd make things worse. . ._

Not knowing quite what to do yet, I walked, letting my body guide me instead of the other way around. It was still really early in the morning; I hazarded a guess at three o'clock, since the crickets were still chirping and the crisp air was stinging my lungs.

He wouldn't come around until seven at the absolute earliest— what would he think about this unfortunate turn of events? It would frustrate him, to say the least; now that I had no place to stay, he'd probably have to keep a constant watch over me, never resting, never going back to his own home. . .

_Shut up, Keiden. . . he doesn't have to know about this. . . just pretend you're leaving the apartment when you sense him! That'll work!_

Well, it was better than doing nothing. I turned toward the apartment again, making my way to the back, where there weren't any windows. I was still tired, but sleeping here probably wasn't the best option at the moment. Sighing, I sat down and pushed my palms into the ground, marveling at the vibrations the earth contained. If I concentrated hard enough, I could feel the landlord stomping back into his room, the other tenants tossing and turning under their covers.

Slowly but surely, the warmth of the timid morning sun began licking my forearms, and the air became slightly heavier. This was a much more familiar feeling— and, with that, came the knowledge that he'd be here soon enough.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._

I scurried to the front of the apartment again, trying to make it look as if I'd stepped out the door only moments earlier. Good— he hadn't seemed to sense anything awry.

_Shoot_! What about tonight, when I had to come back?

_I don't even wanna think about that right now. . ._

Suddenly, he gave an exasperated sigh, and I held out my hands, wondering what had caused it. Oh. I'd somehow ended up at the training ground again. _Sorry if I'm boring you, but it isn't on purpose this time!_

Playing with the bushes and flowers around me, I thought about today's agenda, trying to come up with something more productive to ease my stress. My fingertips found the wide trunk of a strong pine tree, and I instantly got a strange idea; I remembered overhearing various treatments in the hospital, and one of them had included something called the "Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique." Apparently, a young shinobi had attempted to climb a tree by focusing chakra into his feet, only to land on the kunai he'd left on the ground, fatally puncturing one of his lungs. This technique had, supposedly, saved him. The only part of this discussion that had piqued my immediate attention, however, was the actual climbing part— focusing chakra into one's feet? Well, I knew I didn't have any chakra to begin with, but could the same method be applied to muscular strength alone? I figured it wouldn't hurt to try, since I really had nothing better to do with my time.

Removing my sandals, I backed away from the tree, only to sprint toward it again and brush my toes along the trunk, grabbing a tight hold. Blood pumped fiercely to my head, not used to this sudden change in position.

_No— concentrate on your feet! Your feet!_

I grunted, already feeling my toes giving way. The fall wasn't painful— at least, not physically. My dignity was another story. However, I wasn't about to give up.

"Again," I told myself.

I moved away from the tree again and ran directly at it, knowing I'd made it a little higher; I could feel new knots and cracks beneath the soles of my feet. I flexed my calves, pushing my weight deeper into the bark—

And I fell again, this time with a pathetic "Oomph!" _Okay. . . that one kinda hurt. ._ . My tailbone throbbed in protest.

"Third time's a charm," I chanted, thrilled at the rush of adrenaline. I could do it this time, I definitely could! Racing toward the stubborn tree once more, I applied just the right amount of pressure against the woody surface, clamping my toes around the nooks and crannies before immediately lifting my legs over and over again. At the next step, I felt the beginnings of a thick branch beneath my left foot, so I grabbed it, swinging like some wild animal and perching on top of it.

_Yes!_

I laughed, happy about this accomplishment. It was then that I remembered I had company. I sighed. He'd certainly have questions about this. But. . . did I really want him to know I'd sensed him all along? _You're probably gonna have to tell him about the apartment fiasco, anyway, since he'd find it odd that you're not going inside at night anymore. . ._

When put that way. . .

"You know," I called out, still buzzed by my feat, "I don't bite!"

_Buh-dummm-mm._

_Yes, my friend, I know you're there. Just come out already!_

Shinobi were supposed to be deathly quiet— and they were— but I'd grown so accustomed to the noises made by this particular shinobi that even his masked footsteps produced a grassy chorus as he made his way toward me.

"How on earth. . .?" Neji began. Soon, he was on a branch as well.

The utter disbelief in his tone made me chuckle again. "I'm blind. Not deaf."

He was doing that awkward silent thing again, but his questions still rang throughout my ears as if he'd spoken them aloud. So, he wanted to know exactly how I'd sensed him, huh?

"Your heartbeat," I admitted. "I recognized it immediately, the day you started tailing me."

"That was weeks ago," he interrupted. "Why not say anything sooner?"

I shrugged, enjoying myself. "Benefit of the doubt?"

"On whose behalf?" _Are you really that thick?_

"Yours, of course. As much as I wanted you to squirm right off the bat, I decided to spare your pride for a while." It would be quite interesting to learn what he'd make of _that_. Oh, nope— he was doing it again.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked after a while, his voice stiff.

"I got bored." I wasn't lying; as much fun as it was to bug Neji, the sound of his heartbeat just didn't seem like enough anymore in terms of human interaction. "Maybe I just wanted someone to talk to."

"Maybe?" he pressed.

I rolled my eyes, concentrating on keeping my condescendence at its barest minimum. "Okay, fine, I _really_ wanted someone to talk to. It's not very fun, knowing someone's watching your every move, but he's unwilling to stop and make friendly conversation."

His heartbeat stuttered again. Odd. "I should go."

_Huh?_ "Don't you have orders?" I asked, doubt creeping into my tone for the first time today as I wiped my palms on my pants.

The rustling of Neji's thick clothing indicated that he'd stood up. "Surely you've realized how late it is? You usually go back to your apartment at this time."

Was my sense of time really that far off? It only felt like a few minutes had gone by since I'd left the apartment this morning. _One of the many perks of being blind, I guess._ "You're right, but. . . well. . ." I couldn't back out now. "I don't have an apartment anymore. I was evicted this morning."

He was quiet again for a minute. "I didn't know about that."

_You weren't _supposed_ to know, genius!_ "I was evicted _early_ this morning. Apparently, someone informed my landlord that I'm suspected of being a spy. He obviously doesn't want to risk the safety of his more. . . trustworthy tenants." Now that I'd said it, it made a lot more sense.

"Where will you stay, then?"

It was kind of nice that he was concerned about this affair, but I had a feeling this last response of his wasn't totally conscious.

Using my hands this time as well as my feet, I climbed higher up the tree, settling onto an enormous branch above the young man's head. "This seems all right." And it was— it was thicker than me, and the smaller branches sprouting from it provided sturdy hand-and footholds.

"No," Neji said. "Follow me." His heartbeat then hit the forest floor.

More curious than wary, I obeyed, straying a few feet behind him and keeping my mouth shut. However, we soon made our way out of the training ground, and I could practically _taste_ the suspense.

"Why are you doing this?" I finally blurted.

Once again, his pulse stopped in its tracks. Oops. I guessed he couldn't sense me, since I didn't have chakra like he did. Wait a minute— he couldn't sense me? Then how did he know where I'd been during those rare moments when I'd lost track of his heartbeat? Oh, right. He was a Hyuga— he had the Byakugan, and, whether I had chakra or not, he could see me if he needed to.

I groaned inwardly. I was quite sure I wasn't supposed to know that particular detail, so. . . how _did_ I know it? This was really starting to get on my nerves.

"Doing what?" Neji finally managed.

"You're not going to speak to my landlord, are you?" That would most certainly _not_ be pretty. "I appreciate it, but I seriously doubt he'll even listen to a Hyuga at this point."

"Hn." _You're kidding me, right?_

Nope. He wasn't kidding.

The stress from this morning was already making its way back into my system, and I quickly tried formulating a plan to keep Neji away from the apartment; I wasn't fond of being the cause of unnecessary bloodshed. As I imagined dragging an angry Neji off the unconscious stump that was the landlord, a new scent prodded my nose: green tea. Suppressing my panic, I retraced my steps a few blocks back— and I gasped.

"I'm not familiar with this route," I whispered. Oh, dear, where was he taking me? "We're not going to the apartment."

"No. We're going to the Hyuga Compound."

_Compound?_ I calculated the length of each of his footsteps before twisting myself around and stopping in front of him. "I don't understand." Eye contact was, obviously, impossible— however, I attempted to direct my gaze to where I thought his face was.

He sighed. "All of our guest rooms are empty. The entire clan knows that I'm under orders to keep an eye on you. They will not question this."

I glared at him, annoyed at the presumptions I _wasn't_ okay with. "You don't trust me. What makes you think they will?"

"I'm under orders." Now _he_ sounded annoyed. What, he didn't like repeating himself? "You pose a threat. You're not sleeping in the woods."

"Is that an _order_, Neji?" I threw at him, my eyebrow twitching by the most miniscule of degrees. I prayed he hadn't noticed. "In case you've forgotten, the ANBU have been given specific instructions to kill me the second I threaten Konoha— your Hokage was kind enough to tell me that much before I left the hospital." He was given the mission to keep an eye on me; he'd surely know this scrap of information by now. I pointed at myself. "I may be short, but I'm not a child." The sounds of people's heartbeats coming from a place level with my eyes when standing next to them had told me that much about my size.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neji said.

Now _this_ captured my attention. I folded my arms. "Just how old d'you think I am?" I inquired, wondering how onlookers perceived me.

There was another brief silence, soon broken by the words, "No more than thirteen."

_What?!_ My fingers found my shoulder, grabbing it as if it had been stabbed. "Ouch— _that_ stung."

Was Neji seriously doing what I thought he was doing. . . again? Playing instigator once more, I continued with, "I'm _at least _a year older than you." I immediately shoved the thought that I wasn't supposed to know this fact out of my mind, while simultaneously planting a smile on my face.

"You're eighteen."

"Nineteen, actually," I snickered, reveling in the trace of incredulity I'd sensed in his voice.

He didn't say anything for quite a while, and yet, his silence spoke volumes. Was he aware that a person didn't necessarily need words to convey his thoughts? This time around, said thoughts were flinging themselves at my face.

I cleared my throat, embarrassed. "I can _feel_ that, you know."

"Hn," he grunted. I took that to mean, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

We continued on toward the Compound, and I decided to remain at Neji's side, instead of behind him— I didn't want to scare him again, no matter how fun that had been. Suddenly, a cool gust smacked my head.

All right, now he was just being rude. "What're you looking at?" I piped up. Just because I couldn't see him, for crying out loud, didn't mean I wasn't able to sense him staring at me. "I can feel the air from your nose hitting my forehead."

"You're not wearing your sandals," Neji mumbled. The gust went away.

Good. That was payback for embarrassing me earlier. "I'll fetch them in the morning."

"How did you manage to climb like that?" he said abruptly, catching me off guard for a second.

_Oh. . . I get it._ "I was testing my strength, to see whether or not I could do some things without having the chakra to do them. I focused a lot of energy into my toes, and it just. . . worked."

"But after only three tries?" Was that _jealousy_, hidden within the formality?

I grinned at that. "Hey, third time's a charm. I like to think of that as my motto." _Since when? Two seconds ago? _I was such an idiot.

"Hn," Neji muttered again. "We're here."

Though I couldn't see the Hyuga Compound, the aura of the building itself was disconcertingly ominous. I continued to follow Neji, staying as close to him as I could without touching him. A tight pressure forced an even tighter bubble around me, and I had the sudden feeling I was being observed. The knowledge of the Byakugan flooded into my mind again.

"They're watching me." Very interesting. . . could _they_ feel it, too, when they stared at each other?

Neji, gentlemanly as ever, ignored me. I took this opportunity to memorize the Compound's hallways, twisting and turning, albeit symmetrically. Then the young man stopped, his feet shifting on the smooth floor as he faced me and his breath, once again, hitting my forehead. I played with my braid, waiting for him to say something.

"You're to stay in this room. I'll come and get you in the morning. I suggest you don't wander around the Compound alone, if you know what's good for you."

I so, _so_ badly wanted to snort at the dangerous layer his tone had taken on— who did he think he was fooling, anyway?— but I settled for an assumption. "You're not going to drag me around all day."

"No," he sighed. "But I need to train, and I obviously can't just leave you here. You're to accompany me, and I will not hesitate to take you down the moment you try to sneak away."

Had he already forgotten the scene at the hospital? I placed my hands on my hips. Yeah. . . probably. "Threats are wholly unnecessary. Don't strain yourself."

A squeaky drawl answered me. I took this as my cue to get the heck inside the guest room before a pack of Hyuga's decided to _make_ me. Tracing the gloriously polished frame, I stepped inside, overwhelmed by the smell of lemons and more green tea.

Neji's _buh-dummm_ began to fade away. _Aren't you forgetting something, Keiden?_

"Thank you," I said softly. I knew he'd heard it.

With that, I closed the door of my new home.


	7. Chapter 7

The days passed by in a mental blur— sure, I'd gone with Neji to every one of his training sessions, but I'd decided that keeping count was pointless after the ninth week. The fact that these days had also followed the same exact pattern was further reiteration that the calendar in my brain needed to be put out of its misery.

Not that this period had been miserable or anything; in fact, I was having a blast. Each morning, I'd wake up before Neji, and just as I'd finish getting dressed, his heartbeat would putter down the hallway toward my room. This was always the best part: I'd listen for the telltale rustling of his sleeve as he lifted his hand, and then I'd thrust the door open before he could even knock. He hadn't yet told me to stop. . . so I never did.

This morning was no different: this childish antic of mine never got old. In terms of the actual training session, however, I'd left Neji to his own devices and had made myself more productive; while he'd probably thought I'd been just sitting nonchalantly on the ground, I'd actually taken the time to pinpoint any weaknesses in my senses— that _didn't_ include my eyesight— and strive to strengthen them at every possible angle.

I'd never thought about escaping, especially when I'd been aware of a distracted Neji. Oh, I could easily fight him off if he tried restraining me, but what would be the point of all that trouble? The truth was, I _liked_ being around him. He was quiet— sometimes in that really awkward way, other times not— and he never badgered me or breathed down my neck, as if the very thought of me presented an immense threat. Well, if he was going to be nice to me— if one could call this behavior "nice"— I figured I'd return the favor. Besides, the sound of his heart rate after a tough session never ceased to amaze me; even I could feel it getting stronger. And while he wasn't one for conversation, his thoughts kept me entertained. The growls of frustration and the energy behind his techniques were just enough to tell me what exactly was going on in that big head—

A heavy vibration thudded against my palms, which were, once again, pressed into the grass beneath me. I strained my ears for anything unusual, and they soon stumbled upon beats of twin exuberance, followed by a rapidly trilling pulse. I then cursed myself for not taking more time to memorize the different heartbeats associated with each villager. Neji didn't seem to notice anything was off, though; he must have been distracted again.

"Who's that?" I said quietly, hopefully catching his attention. I kept focusing on the intruders, ready to defend myself if need be. However, they were still at least a mile away from our location— the strength of their vibrations that shadowed the sounds of their boisterous footfalls told me as much. _Please, let his Byakugan be activated. . ._

"It's all ri—" Neji broke off. I then realized I'd just given myself away.

"You don't think I've been just _sitting_ here, do you?" I managed after a brief moment.

"What are you playing at?" he said harshly, his voice shaking at the last word.

_Great, now he's mad. But why's he so upset? I was watching his back!_ "As proud as I am of my four senses, I'm not going to throw away the opportunity to further strengthen them. I've been training just as much as you have," I sighed. _I guess I should tell him this, too_. "I may as well be useful."

Now was _not_ the time to be doing that silent-but-screaming-his-brains-out thing. There were three people coming straight for us, for crying out loud, and Neji was, most likely, wasting his energy thinking about the underlying meaning of my snappy remark!

"Deconstruct all you want," I continued. "If you want me to stop looking, just say so." I used my toes to climb the tree I'd been sitting next to, perching behind a cool cluster of leaves. _Depend on your own eyes, buddy, for all I care. . ._

Growing tense, I listened to the steadily approaching figures, wondering just why Neji wasn't doing anything about them. He must have known them or something; he _had_ said it was all right, after all. However, I wouldn't feel any better until I was absolutely certain these people weren't dangerous.

"Ah, Neji! I can already see in your eyes the youthful passion this reunion brings!" boomed one of the twins, his movements producing an odd whistling sound. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd be here so early!"

The other twin wriggled around as well, creating his own high-pitched noises. Intrigued, I waved my arm as fast as I could through the air, and it made a sound similar to what the twins had just made.

_Spandex?_

"Yosh! Neji's eagerness to begin our highly youthful training session is such a youthful inspiration!"

I snorted at the already overused adjective, wondering what the girl was going to say that would add to the hilarity.

"What was that strange sound?" the second twin said loudly. "Did you hear that, Gai-sensei?"

Another sensei, huh? Was he Neji's?

"As a matter of fact, I did, Lee. I'VE GOT IT!" Holy cow— I'd nearly fallen out of my tree at that exclamation. "Our first training exercise for today will be to track down the maker of the mysterious snort! Are you ready, team?"

I had a feeling Neji wouldn't really be up for something like that, especially since he already knew where I was. A little disappointed, though thankful nonetheless that these people were okay, I made my way back down. "There's really no need," I said, finally revealing myself to this "team." "As fun as that sounds, I'm not allowed to hide from Neji."

"Hn," was all I got. Gee, thanks.

"Gah! Who is _she_?" the one called Lee cried. He desperately needed to pick up his feet; as he scooted away from me, the impact of his sandals on the ground was astounding— at least, to me it was.

"Calm down, Lee," said the female. Her voice was almost as high as her heartbeat. "Neji told us about this mission last night, remember?"

I must've already been asleep when Neji had had this little get-together last night. I figured it was too late to berate him now. . .

"Mission?" Lee said.

"He's stuck babysitting until further notice," the girl continued. There was _definitely_ an emphasis on "baby." "Were you even listening?"

I kind of liked this girl's spunk, even if she was insulting me. Facing her general direction, I tried the whole eye-contact thing again. "You're talking about a rather old baby, you know," I told her, grinning at her attitude. "Anyway, nice to meet you." I wasn't about to back down from a verbal brawl—

The girl laughed. "I like this kid, Neji." _Kid?_ "You should've introduced us sooner!"

"Introduced? How rude of me— I'm Keiden." I held out a hand, deciding to play nice after thinking about making more friends. And why not? Neji couldn't keep me to himself forever.

Lee pounced at me, his spandex whishing violently against the air, and grabbed my hand, flinging it every which way. "It is an honor to meet you! My name is Rock Lee, but you may call me Lee!" Though seemingly slow, this young man's enthusiasm was invigorating.

"I'm Tenten," the girl offered.

"And my name is Maito Gai!" The series of noises coming from this man glued some weird pictures into my skull. What was he doing, anyway? "Gai-sensei, if you will!"

My lips twitched. "Sensei?" He wasn't _my_ sensei. . .

"Of course! Any friend of Neji's, especially one who'll most likely be with him for a long time, is welcome to be a part of this particularly _youthful_ team!"

_You've certainly fulfilled your "youthful" quota for the day._ "That's very kind of you, but I don't want to impose." I took that as my cue to go back into my tree, already taking a step away from the group. "It really wouldn't be a good idea to let someone like me train with you, anyway."

"Nonsense!" Tenten chirped. "I think it'd be nice to have another girl on this team."

"Yosh! I agree with Tenten!" Lee whooped. "What do you say, Neji?"

_Well, Neji? What _do_ you say?_

Nothing, apparently.

Gai-sensei's heartbeat was suddenly next to Neji's. "There'd be four pairs of eyes on her. She wouldn't even think of escaping." His voice was oddly serious for someone so. . . flamboyant.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Neji answered softly. Really, had he already forgotten how strong my sense of hearing was? "We just don't need her getting any stronger."

That made perfect sense; he was supposed to be keeping me from demolishing his village, after all.

"Then we'll just have to tire her out!" Gai concluded.

Oh, boy. This should be interesting.

"All right, then!" my new sensei cheered. "Let's start with the usual! I want one hundred youthful laps around Konoha!"

I was much too excited to worry about the distance; finally, I was going to do something more physically exerting! I had no idea how good I was in terms of endurance— however, there was always a first time for everything.

I placed myself beside Neji, aware that he'd much rather be the one keeping a close eye on me.

"On your mark. . . get set. . . GOOOOO! RUN! RUN WITH THE FULL POWER OF YOUTH!" Gai roared, his _boom-poom_ already very far away. Lee's _poom-boom_ followed closely behind him.

I released a delighted giggle while keeping myself as parallel to Neji as I could. "I like their energy."

"Hn," he said. Now _that _"Hn" had been much more irritated; we were only two-hundred meters into it, and he already wanted me to stop bugging him?

"If it bothers you so much," I replied lightly, "I can always run with Tenten." Her _ta-tmm_ was about thirty seconds behind us.

He didn't say anything, so I attempted to figure out just what the heck his problem was: he still wanted me close by, even though I was bothering the living daylights out of him. . . he'd sounded rather frustrated when Gai had told him about having the entire team watch over me. . . he had enough pride to fill an ocean-sized bowl. . .

_A-ha. _

He was worried about failing his mission.

"That's what I thought," I said happily, rubbing it in his face, just a little. "You're welcome."

His silence said it all. I was getting quite good at this.

"Do you despise sandals?" he asked curtly. So, he'd taken to staring at me again?

I chuckled, opting to give him the truth after tormenting him for a while. "I'm memorizing the terrain."

". . . why?"

"I thought it would be fun." Even though this habit had become second nature to me, it'd give me something to do. "Another ninety-nine laps of silence would be kind of boring, don't you think?" It wasn't as if he needed to know that his thoughts provided enough conversation for the both of us.

"Hn," he said again.

I spent much more time than necessary thinking of ways to incorporate vocabulary lessons into his day. Honestly, it was only polite to answer with at least a "yes" or a "no." And what exactly was a "Hn," anyway? As fun as it was to discern the various meanings behind his signature word— was it a word?— this arrogant attitude of his wasn't going to get him anywhere.

Then Neji stopped, his heart racing. Confused, I retraced our steps in my mind— and realized we'd finished running the assigned laps. I was truly grateful he'd decided to let me continue running with him, and I showed it by patting his upper arm. _Shoot. . . I was aiming for his shoulder. . ._

Lee's spandex whistled around me once more, and he latched onto my hand again, congratulating me on a "youthful job well done." This must have been normal for Gai and him, so I finally accepted the fact that I'd probably be hearing the word "youthful" for many, _many _days to come. Tenten came along not long after, telling me how impressed she was with my accomplishment. Gai, however, didn't say anything— he was probably shocked by how easily I'd managed to run around the village. I felt great, too— not tired at all!

"Gai-sensei! Gai-sensei! May we proceed with the sparring session now?" I didn't need my eyes to see the excitement radiating from Lee's countenance.

"A splendidly youthful proposition, Lee! I have just the technique for you. And Tenten, my lovely flower, I require your blossoming assistance!"

Did he just call Tenten a flower?

Before I could question Gai's peculiar choice of words, I was left alone with the _buh-dummm_. Rocking back and forth for a moment, I contemplated my next move.

_Time for Neji to train some more, I guess_. "I think this tree is mocking you," I pointed out, placing my hands on the nearest trunk. "Maybe you should teach it a lesson." With that, I sat down, staying out of his way.

"Stand up," he said sharply.

_Crap_.

"You contradicting yourself," I warned, remembering his hushed conversation with Gai. Nevertheless, I scrambled to my feet again.

I heard him charging before I felt it— really, the sounds of his clothing stuck out like a sore thumb— and I quickly maneuvered myself behind him.

"Byakugan!" came a growl.

"Don't do this," I whispered. I _really_ didn't want to have to land a hit him.

Like a fool, he barreled toward me again; this time, the rustling noises went from my head to my waist. Assuming he was about to kick me, I reached forward, resting my hands on what felt like his right shoulder and thrusting myself off the ground. I was behind him again, and I wrapped my left arm tightly around his neck.

"Just stop." _Before you hurt yourself._

He wouldn't listen to me— he just threw himself into a poorly choreographed somersault, as if hoping this motion would chuck me to the ground. I let him go before pinning his arms under my knees and gripping his throat with my bare hands.

He was good, I'd give him that, but he depended on his eyes _way_ too much. I feared for his safety, simply because I didn't think he'd deactivated his Byakugan yet; I understood the risks that came with overusing his bloodline limit. I'd tried over and over again to make him stop fighting me, but to no avail— he'd continued charging at me, intending to beat me to a pulp, but I'd always had the upper hand. It was like I'd known his moves even before he had.

My next move consisted of trapping both his wrists with my left hand and clutching the taut skin of his neck with my right. At this, he swore, falling to his knees.

I let him go. "We're done," was all I said, well aware of his exhaustion. Sitting down, I immediately stuck my hands in the grass and focused on all noises within a six-hundred meter radius; Neji was in no fit state to sense any danger, so I did it for him. At that moment, I decided it was a much better idea to leave the matter of his wounded pride alone— had it been the other way around, I didn't think he'd gloat about a victory in these circumstances.

What greeted my ears were the sounds of Gai, Lee, and Tenten making their way back toward a more densely populated region of the village. _Good. . . they're safe._

"What are you doing?" Neji murmured.

"Looking at the grass, the bugs," I lied. "Listening to your team." Wait— _our_ team.

". . ." He seemed too tired to suspect me.

"They're leav—"

"What are you?" he blurted, his heartbeat still not quite under control.

I couldn't help but beam at this remark. "I'm Keiden." That seemed fitting enough— I had no idea what I was otherwise. _That's right. . . I _don't_ know what I am. . ._ "Neji?" I said nervously after this little epiphany.

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?" I'd actually been thinking about this for a while, and now was the perfect opportunity to voice my concerns about this entire mess.

". . . it depends. . ." he began, unsure.

"Don't worry— you wouldn't be overstepping the boundaries of your mission." _In fact, you'd probably be doing the ANBU a favor. _"It's just that. . . if I remember everything. . . and if I am indeed the enemy. . ." What was I so afraid of? No matter what, I was going to end up dead, anyway. I took in a big gust of air. "I want you to be the one to kill me," I finished, trying to sound bold about it.

His clothes rustled again in what I guessed to be a wince; he mustn't have expected such an answer. Instantly regretting this spiel, I hastily fished for something else to say.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"I promise," he said firmly, leaving no room for doubt.


	8. Chapter 8

I still couldn't get over just how much the atmosphere had changed since Neji had made his promise to me— not that that was a bad thing. We continued going by our same daily routine, but, recently, Neji had done something that had caught me completely by surprise:

"_Keiden?" he said one day, pausing in the act of getting into one of his more signature stances— Rotation, I remembered. _

_I wiped my grassy hands on my thighs. "Yeah?"_

"_. . . I think that. . . I mean, would you mind. . ." He trailed off, making me all the more curious. _

_I kindly prodded him along. "Whaddyou need?" _

_He took a deep breath. "Well. . . you look bored," he finished lamely. _

_After all the time I'd spent with him, it didn't take me long to figure out that this rather pathetic statement had, in fact, been an offer; and instead of questioning his reasoning, I simply accepted the fact that he actually wanted to _train_ with me. Elated, I stood up and declared, "Ready when you are, Neji." _

Now, a handful of days later, I was on top of him, my hands positioned at his neck. "Again," I commanded, letting him go.

I could sense his frustration— he still wasn't quite used to such a series of defeats— so I provided something I'd gathered from my previous surveillances. "You rely on your eyes too much. Byakugan or not, your other senses are just as important."

Though obvious, he still needed to hear it. Judging by his silence, I figured something was holding him back— my speed, perhaps? _Time for a different approach, then. . ._

"I want you to close your eyes," I said.

His heartbeat's reaction made it seem like I'd asked him to stab himself. Laughing, I continued. "It'll help. Once properly trained, your ears will be unstoppable." _And paired with your eyes, you'll never have to worry about an enemy's sneak attack ever again._

"They're closed."

I smirked at his thoughtfulness. "Good. Now, just take a few minutes, and focus on every sound around you, no matter how small." This would be difficult, but Neji had a lot of potential. I made my way over to him and placed my hand on his elbow, letting him know I wasn't using this as a chance to run away. "Tell me what you hear."

". . . a nest of sparrows, about one-hundred meters to my left. . . the wind in the trees and the grass. . ." He was starting to become tense.

"What else?" I whispered encouragingly.

This being his first time with such an exercise, he'd actually done quite well; however, his heart was discouraged. I could only guess it had something to do with the fact that his sense of hearing wasn't quite on par with mine. Well, if he was going to be impatient about it—

"Fight me," I ordered, releasing his arm. I knew he'd keep his eyes closed.

Without warning, I pounced on him. "Were you even trying?" I asked lightly, getting to my feet once more. _Maybe _that'll_ teach him a lesson. _I immediately replayed this spar in my head: I'd held my breath while Neji had been listening to our surroundings, simply in order to speed up my heart rate so he could hear me when I'd finally charged at him. This hadn't seemed to help him in the slightest. Did that mean he couldn't hear me at all?

"Hn," he said. "Not all of us were born with a heightened sense of hearing." He hadn't said it to be mean— in fact, his voice had been almost as playful as mine.

A sudden thought popped into my head. "The thing is. . . I don't think I was born this way," I replied.

"What makes you say that?" It was nice that he seemed more attentive toward me— it'd make things much easier in terms of coaching him.

"I know what colors are." They were so ingrained in my brain that it was impossible _not_ to know what they were. "How on earth are you supposed to teach colors to somebody who was born blind?"

Neji had no retort for that.

"So, you see, I had to train my ears, just like you." _Even though I have absolutely no recollection of such training. . ._

He continued to say nothing, but I interpreted his silence as something along the lines of, "I can't fight off something I can't hear."

"Maybe you're not listening hard enough," I offered.

"Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book and listen with my palms instead." His _buh-dummm_ plopped to the ground. _Aw, man, I wish I could see this! Is Neji actually making fun of me?_

"I like books," I said randomly.

"You can't read," he countered.

Obviously. "I didn't say I like _reading_ books," I said, sitting next to him. "I just like holding them, thinking about what could be inside." I'd always wondered what words looked like, and the book covers I'd discovered over time had _almost_ been enough to give me a basic idea.

". . ." He wasn't following me? Probably a good time for another quick lesson.

"You should try it sometime," I lectured. "Texture also plays a key role in blind sparring— mainly when it comes to defense. I'll enlighten you." I grabbed his hand and forced it onto my sleeve. "My turtleneck feels a lot like spandex— it's light, and it helps me move faster. When I'm in motion, the looser parts of this shirt create friction against the air, which then produces and extremely high-pitched sound. If I were ever to spar with Lee or Gai-sensei, since they wear spandex, I'd follow these whistling sounds to know where they were aiming."

". . . and _my _clothes?" Neji asked.

I let go of his hand, only to then place mine on his own sleeve. "The material's much thicker, and there's a lot more of it. When _you _move, it rustles against itself. It gives you away too easily. I have a pretty good idea of how tall you are, so whenever I hear the rustling of your clothes at my eye level, I can assume you're aiming to attack with your arms. When you crouch, maybe wanting to kick me, the sounds come from a spot either level with or lower than my waist." I took my hand back. "But, like I said, texture's mainly for defense."

"What about offense?" he pressed. Yes, a reaction!

I grinned. "That's the easy part. Once I focus on the sound of my opponent's heartbeat, I'll always know where they are. They can't hide from me." When put that way, it sounded kind of scary— nobody could run, nobody could hide. If I were the enemy, I could easily massacre Konoha, leaving no survivors. I shuddered inwardly, searching for a different topic to delve into.

_I guess I can put this lesson into action now_. "Don't worry, Neji. I have faith in you." I stood again, happy that he continued to put up with me.

I turned on him, taking in the anticipatory shift of his heartbeat.

"Again," I said.


	9. Chapter 9

"Can you believe it's already been fifteen months?" I felt around for the boulder I'd smelled earlier, resting on it for a bit. I only knew how long it had been since I'd first entered Konoha because I'd overheard a pair of Hyuga's— they'd sounded like the elders— discussing it as they'd passed my bedroom door one evening. It kind of stung that I was still suspicious in the eyes of some people, but I did my best to show them I meant no harm.

This train of thought led me to another conversation I'd accidentally overheard a few months ago: this one had been between the leader of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga, and Neji himself. I'd done everything in my power to keep myself from eavesdropping on the bulk of the meeting, but I'd still managed to snag two significant pieces of information. One: Hiashi knew about Neji's promise to me. Two: he wasn't sure if Neji would be able to kill me after all.

The latter discovery terrified me; why _wouldn't_ Neji be able to kill me, if it had to come to that? A promise was a promise, and Neji wasn't one to suddenly break it— that just wasn't him.

What _was_ him, however, was a different story: he'd improved so much over the course of our frequent training sessions— I couldn't be more proud— and he'd begun opening up to me in ways I'd have never believed possible. Lack of social interaction didn't matter— his actions, his eagerness to learn, were enough. He didn't seem bothered by me anymore, which made me feel a lot better when training with him, and the fact that he was so patient with my somewhat childish nature was an added bonus.

As corny as it sounded, I couldn't imagine life without him. His presence was as familiar as my own; when he had to take outside missions, I was left within the confines of my little guest room until he returned. It frustrated me how much I missed him during those times. He was like a brother to me now. . . a dear friend.

This made me all the more wary of remembering my past; I didn't want this. . . acquaintanceship to end. I had to be careful of my thoughts about what I had with Neji— he had rules to follow, I and was sure "Make friends" wasn't one of them.

But. . . did he feel the same way about me? Did I mean something to him? I sincerely hoped not. Having to kill someone he'd grown to care about was _definitely _not right. Not fair.

I didn't want him to worry about my memories rushing back to me— I was plenty anxious for the both of us. However, as the _buh-dummm_ made its way toward the boulder, I sensed a deep tension in his blood. Was he thinking about his mission as well?

"Your heart's racing," I observed. "Are you all right?"

He didn't answer. He seemed to be struggling to find a way to tell me, but nothing was coming out.

Not ashamed of voicing my concerns, as much as they sometimes hurt, I plowed on. "It's going to happen soon enough. I just wish you wouldn't worry so much about it."

". . ."

_Crap_.

So he _was_ worried.

Attempting to distract the both of us, I racked my frantic brain for the most ridiculous thing I could think of. "Have you ever smelled a ladybug?" _Are you _kidding_ me?!_

Neji, however, had taken the bait. "Excuse me?"

Thoroughly relieved, I hopped onto the ground and threaded my fingers through the long grass, searching for the bug that would save us both. Catching the moist scent of the critter, I immediately cupped my palm around it, letting it crawl onto my fingertip.

"These creatures are great when it comes to sensing danger." A few weeks ago, a young man by the name of Shino Aburame had taken a great liking to me when I'd expressed an interest in bugs, and he'd promptly taught me the basics of the world of insects. Needless to say, I'd learned a lot. "They excrete chemicals from their legs when they feel threatened, which produce a very strong odor." I pushed my finger toward where I knew Neji's face was, encouraging him to take a whiff.

"Keiden, I'm not going to smell a ladybug," he stated. "We can train my nose some other way."

I exhaled playfully, a bit surprised at how quickly he'd turned down an opportunity to train. "You're missing out. . ." I teased. _Fine. I'll smell it for the both of us_. Inhaling deeply, I was shocked by the amount of fluid that had instantaneously made its way onto my fingertip. I could feel my eyes watering, and I desperately tried erasing the scent of chemically-enhanced grass, nuts, and mold from my mind.

"That was. . . potent. . ." I stuck out my tongue.

This comment was answered by the most glorious sound I'd ever laid ears on— my heart nearly stopped as I slowly comprehended what it was.

Neji. He was _laughing_.

Never, _never_ had I heard this before; it was as if the world had stopped spinning while the now-nineteen-year-old before me continued to laugh. I was beyond shocked— how could such a common noise be so breathtakingly _beautiful_?

"Forgive me," he said when he'd calmed himself down.

For once, I was at a complete loss for words.

"The look on your face was unbearably funny," Neji continued, his tone a little anxious now. I realized he was expecting an answer, but what was I supposed to say after something like _that_?

"You laughed," I breathed. _Well done, genius._

"Don't move," he whispered.

I became as stiff as the boulder beneath me.

"The ladybug. It's in your hair," he explained.

Smiling at this gentlemanly observation, I lifted my hand. "It's all right. I'll get it—" I hadn't realized Neji had been reaching for my head, too, until I'd bumped my fingers against his and pushed his palm onto my cheek.

We both turned into identical ice sculptures, too shocked at what had just happened to move.

_What're you doing, you idiot? Kick him! Punch him! Get him away from you! You shouldn't be doing this— don't let him touch you!_

But. . . but his hand felt so _good_ on my cheek. . .

_You _know_ this isn't right! You're only making things difficult for him!_

His other hand found my face, and all I had the sense to do was gasp. That hadn't been a very good idea— I'd tasted a tiny trace of his breath after pulling that little stunt.

Petrified, I closed my eyes, aware of my heart beating so treacherously against my ribs.

Something warm and deliciously soft brushed my lips.

_No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no—_

_NO! _

Neji pulled away, his _buh-dummm_ faltering, terrified.

_What've I done? What've I done? Crap, what've I _done_?! _

Why wasn't I screaming in fury? Why hadn't I punched Neji yet? Why hadn't I punched _myself _yet? I'd just made life ten times harder for him, and yet, I was sitting here like an imbecile.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed. He let me go.

Livid with myself, I concentrated on the one sound that always brought me comfort, trying to pull myself together— but something was different here. Focusing on the _buh-dummm_ once more, I thought I heard it echo. _That's stupid. Heartbeats don't echo. . ._

Wait a minute. That was _my_ heart.

Despite everything, a smile tugged at my lips. "You heard it." This was only a presumption, of course, but voicing my thoughts wasn't anything new.

Neji's heartbeat shifted further away from me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I felt for his hand— now a bit desperate to figure out whether or not this was for real— and placed it right over my heart.

"You heard it," I repeated. It had _almost_ sounded like a question.

The startled twitch of his hand beneath mine settled it: Neji could finally hear my heartbeat.


	10. Chapter 10

_He's in trouble. . . I've gotten him into _so_ much trouble. . . _

I was pacing up and down the stairs of the Hokage Tower, waiting for Lady Tsunade to explode and wallop Neji into a pile of Hyuga ashes. Sure enough—

"What's this I'm hearing about you and Keiden?" she said fiercely. Her peculiar heartbeat was roaring right along with her, making it much too easy to hear her through the walls of her office. "You were given a simple, very specific mission! Have you already forgotten?"

"I remember it clearly. 'You're to keep a careful eye on this kid. Don't let her out of your sight.'" No matter how respectful that little recitation had sounded, now wasn't a good time for Neji to be playing smart-aleck.

"So where is she now?" Tsunade snapped.

Ugh— what did I _just_ say about playing smart-aleck? I didn't need to be in the same room anymore to know how sarcastic his thoughts were becoming. "She's waiting for me on the steps outside."

"How do you know she won't just make her escape now?" Wow. This lady never missed a beat.

"If you don't mind my saying, Lady Hokage, if she wanted to make an escape, she would have tried doing so months ago." That much was true, but I had a feeling this comment wasn't doing any favors for the Hokage's blood pressure. "And if you also don't mind my saying. . ."

_I mind— I MIND!_

". . . I think you should call off this mission."

I froze. "W-what?" I mouthed in disbelief.

"For goodness' sake, Neji! What's gotten into you?" Tsunade said loudly. "I understand that you've recently turned nineteen, and that certain feelings are bound to come up, but now is _not_ the time to be falling in love!"

Since she was renowned for her accurate perception, I didn't question her conclusion, no matter how mediocre it seemed.

"I'm assuming my uncle has had a word with you, concerning a certain promise?" Was he talking about— wait, _Lord_ _Hiashi_ was his uncle?

"As a matter of fact, he has," Tsunade replied tersely. At that moment, she sounded just as clueless as I felt. Where exactly was Neji going with this?

"I trust Keiden," he murmured. "And I'm staying by her side until the moment I kill her."

I winced at the way he'd said "kill." It hadn't been cold, or even cruel— it had been devastated, no matter how much he'd tried to make it sound otherwise. Something ripped inside my chest then, and I wasn't sure whether it had felt good or bad.

"Fine," Tsunade said, her voice low.

I held my breath, waiting for the answer that would send my sanity running amok.

"Mission terminated."

Clutching at the stairway's railing to support myself, I hunched under the weight of an entirely new burden.


	11. Chapter 11

"Your uncle wants to see me? Tonight?" My fingers twitched to my hair, anxiously pulling at the curled ends.

"Don't worry so much." Neji's calloused hands took mine and massaged little circles into my taut knuckles. "It's just dinner, not an interrogation session. Besides, I'll be there."

_I'll be there_. . .

Everything was so confusing now; these words should have made me feel better— which they had— but they'd also sent a fearful shiver down my spine. And if I thought my sense of time had been out of whack before, it was nothing compared to how numbly the weeks flew by me now.

Here we were, resting our backs against my bed, our arms gently brushing one another. Neji had been spending quite a bit of time in my room lately— he'd told me that the other members of his clan never bothered using their Byakugan to search this part of the Compound, which relieved a lot of the tension he usually felt when in his own room. I'd never argued with him, seeing as I valued privacy almost as much as he did.

This privacy, however, kind of scared me. Nobody was watching us— within this haven, we could do anything. As much as I tried convincing myself that our relationship had simply taken a more friendly turn, I really couldn't deny the sense of yearning that pervaded the air when we were around each other— which was all the time.

Sometimes, he'd touch me. I'd shrugged it off as casual at first, but when his fingers had one day traced my jaw, lingering at my chin, I knew I'd gotten myself in too deep. It hadn't stopped there, either: another time, after a typical training session, he'd slowly made his way over to me and planted a tender kiss on my forehead. Instead of stopping him, though, I'd let his lips rest there for a moment, while I'd mentally beaten myself.

I was so selfish. Leading Neji on like this was the most cold-hearted thing I could possibly do to him. Intimacy really wasn't an option when my past was hanging over the both of us like a bloodthirsty sword. I even felt like crying whenever he'd wish me a good night— because I knew I didn't deserve him.

But, being the jerk I was, I continued voicing my thoughts. "I don't want this to end, either," I whispered, so attuned to his thought pattern; he was thinking about this relationship as well. "But I want to protect Konoha, too."

I'd been in this village for almost two years, and I was still shocked at just how many friends I'd made: along with my team, I'd gotten to know various other shinobi and kunoichi, mainly those belonging to the age group of Hinata, one of Neji's cousins. I'd also developed strong bonds with Kakashi-sensei— who repeatedly insisted I just call him "Kakashi"— and a vast majority of the current Academy students, genin, and chunin. I'd even been asked to help train these kids, earning the trust that only their innocent, young spirits had the power to bestow. I truly enjoyed assisting others, too; it gave me such a sense of belonging that, sometimes, it was almost overwhelming.

My heart constricted at the thought that this could all be destroyed within the blink of an eye.

"Life isn't supposed to be fair," I said to myself, standing up. Already plotting my next episode of inner turmoil, I easily navigated my way to Neji's head and gave it a kiss.

He held my hand, as if trying to keep me rooted in this position. _Oh, believe me, I'd like nothing more_—

His lips were suddenly on mine, crushing them into wonderfully delectable shapes. I repressed the delightful shudders that urgently wanted to course throughout my bloodstream as his hands held me tightly to him; clutching at his shirt to keep myself from swaying against the heat of his mouth, I let him take over. He seemed only too willing, and he pressed me to the wall, knotting his fingers in my hair.

_Keiden. . . you have to stop. You're hurting him._

I pulled away, a sob lodging itself in my throat at the truthfulness of that thought.

The icy metal of his forehead protector now rested on my feverish skin; I wanted nothing more at that moment than to be able to see what his eyes were telling me. His thumb, shaking slightly, was stroking my cheek.

"I know," I whispered, my voice quivering. "I know."

_I know that we don't want this to end. . . I know that you're frustrated, that you're in pain. . . I know that what we're doing is so wrong— and yet, it feels so right. . . and I know that I'm a disgusting excuse for a human being._

"We should prepare for dinner," he said tonelessly.

Trying to make him feel better about my sadism, I pasted a small smile on my face.

He left without a word.

"I'm an idiot," I whimpered softly, sliding down to the floor and hugging my knees.

There was absolutely _no_ excuse for my behavior; why, _why_ was I only thinking of myself? Neji deserved much better than this, and here I was, torturing him because I simply couldn't say "no" to my stupid, carnal desires. If it hadn't been for this promise—

_Don't think that. If it _weren't_ for this promise, you wouldn't have become his friend in the first place. Is that what you want?_

No. His friendship was my prized possession, as much as it stung me to admit it.

_Thrmm-dmm, thrmm-dmm, thrmm-dmm. . . _

"Keiden?" came Hanabi's voice from my doorway. "You okay?"

As feisty as this particular thirteen-year-old was, she could actually be quite kind. Her limber pulse made its way over to me, settling itself onto the floor.

"Worried about dinner with my father?" she said.

"A little." Giving her this half-truth wouldn't hurt her. "I've never really spoken to him before."

"Yeah, he can be kind of intimidating at times. . ." she mused. "So, um, I brought you something."

Piqued, I shifted myself so I was facing her, her breath tickling my hairline. "It smells like. . . silk?" I guessed.

She laughed. "Yup. It's a kimono. I've already outgrown it, but it's still in really good shape. I didn't think you had anything to wear to a formal meal, so I, um, was wondering if you'd like to. . . uh. . ."

This time, I laughed. Hanabi could be as awkward as Neji sometimes. "That's really thoughtful, Hanabi. I'd be honored to wear it."

She set the thick bundle of silk into my lap. "Okay. I'll just leave you alone, so you can change." She then stood up, but she made no move to walk away. "Unless. . . d'you need help. . .?"

As adamant as I was about taking care of myself, I was still a bit too distracted to worry about my pride. "That'd be great. I'll just wash up first."

After that, we spent much more time than necessary trying to figure out how to maneuver my arms through the stubborn sleeves and tie the proper layers with their corresponding sashes.

"You look so pretty!" Hanabi said, smoothing the material at my shoulders. "This is definitely your color."

"Huh?" What color _was_ this kimono, anyway?

"Oh, sorry— I forget sometimes that you can't see. It's dark green. Like your eyes."

I blinked. "I didn't know that," I whispered.

"You didn't know your eye color?" Hanabi asked quietly, running her fingers through my still-damp hair. "But. . . but I thought you said you weren't born blind?"

"I think I was very, very young when I lost my eyesight— I know colors and shapes and basic human and animal forms, but that's pretty much it. I'm not really sure what I look like," I explained.

"Oh," she breathed, her heart becoming a little sad.

"It's okay—"

"Your hair's silver," she blurted. "And you have fair skin, like Neji. He doesn't have freckles, though."

I couldn't help but beam; especially coming from Hanabi, this gesture was extraordinarily sweet. "Thank you. That means a lot."

She sat down once more, pulling me right along with her. "Wanna know what Neji looks like?"

I considered it for a moment, thinking Neji himself would most likely never describe his physical features for me. "I'd like that."

"Okay. . . um, he has really long hair— oh, wait, you probably already knew that. . . but it's dark brown, just like mine. And, well, since he has the Byakugan. . . no, you knew that, too. I guess I'm not very good at this. . ."

"Keep going," I murmured.

". . . uh. . . he never smiles. . ."

"Never?" I coaxed gently. This was rather fun.

"All right, _sometimes_ he does— but, most of the time, he just looks like he's eating a lemon."

I giggled. "Well, when _does_ he smile?"

"When he's around you."

My heart sank, scraping the jagged ridges of my ribs along the way.

"Keiden?" Hanabi sounded very troubled now. "Hey, Keiden?"

I snapped out of it. "Sorry about that. . ."

"Did I say something wrong?" the teen asked, her own heart beating tentatively alongside her steadily developing lungs.

"No," I insisted. "No, everything's fine. Still a bit nervous about dinner, that's all."

"You wanna be alone now?" She wasn't fooled.

I felt around the air for a moment before wrapping my material-laden arms about her in a hug. "Thanks for everything, Hanabi. We should do this again sometime."

She sighed, patting my back. "Okay. Have fun tonight— and really, Father doesn't bite, just so you know."

"I'll keep that in mind."

She closed the door behind her, the _thrmm-dmm_ quickly fading away.

I had some serious problems.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._

Neji knocked on my recently shut door, his knuckles just the slightest bit hesitant. Combing my hair one last time with my fingers, I padded to the knob and twisted cautiously, my hands fumbling within the material of the too-long sleeves. I was soon greeted by the scent of lingering soap.

I could feel his gaze directed at my new outfit; he was probably considering the obnoxious sleeves almost as much as I was. "Hanabi lent it to me," I explained, rolling the silk at my arms and berating myself for not thinking of this earlier.

The moment my hands became free, he took one in his own. "Ready?"

I nodded, growing edgy all over again as I violently forced myself not to caress his palm with my thumb.

We silently made our way to where I knew the small dining room was, and the unmistakable sound of Lord Hyuga's _lub-dub_ pulsed throughout my ear canals from the other side of the door.

"Welcome." He seemed polite enough, but the might behind his heartbeat still made me wary. "I don't believe I've ever properly introduced myself. I am Neji's uncle, Hiashi Hyuga." There came a faint rustling noise level with my chest. Completely guessing at where this was going, I raised a hand, my fingertips suddenly brushing Hiashi's own.

I shook his hand._ Phew_. "Pleased to meet you, Lord Hyuga. I'm Keiden." Grateful I'd managed to say that without squeaking in fear, I relaxed by a few degrees.

He gave a low laugh. "I see my nephew's been giving you a few pointers about our ways. I'm impressed." I didn't bother mentioning that I'd only learned to address Lord Hyuga as such because I was a chronic eavesdropper; my nerves were a bit too fraught for that. "Come. Let us dine, shall we?"

Though I'd grown used to eating with chopsticks, I was stressing out about dropping my food all over the place and embarrassing everyone. So many things could go wrong here— and the fact that I could feel Hiashi watching my every move only made matters even more tense.

"So, Keiden, is it?" The clan leader began. _Hmph. . . and Neji said this wasn't gonna be an interrogation session._ "I'm interested to learn of your background."

Was he _mocking_ me? "Begging your pardon, my lord, but I'm sure you're well aware that I have no recollection of my background," I said quietly.

"Then what of your current training?" he shot back darkly. "As far as I know, you seemingly possessed remarkable skill even before coming into Konoha—"

"Training hones one's strengths, sir." That much was clear.

"But why must you continue to hone yours? You claim you have no background—"

"Uncle," Neji interjected.

"Let me finish. You claim you have no background, which must also mean you have nothing to protect, nothing to pledge your allegiance to. Am I correct?" His words made me feel so very small, but I wasn't about to give up this fight.

"Yes." I paused. "And no."

"Oh?" he inquired sharply.

"While it's true that I don't have a past, the fact that I have nothing to protect is most certainly _not_ true."

"Then who is it you're working for?" Hiashi asked.

"I work for nobody," I said, brewing with timid confidence.

"I'm finding that difficult to believe," he muttered.

_His head's about as thick as his nephew's!_ "Isn't it obvious?" I whispered. "I train hard, each and every day, so that I may be strong enough to take down any threat."

"But you also pose a threat." His tone was dripping with triumph.

"Which is why I asked Neji to make a promise for me— a promise even _you_, my lord, can't plead ignorance of."

For once, Hiashi didn't say anything. Afraid that I'd gone too far, that I'd infuriated _the_ Hyuga clan leader beyond all comprehension, I attempted to pay penitence.

"This village is the only family I know— and that includes this clan. It's all I want to protect, sir."

". . . I. . ." Seriously, were _all_ Hyuga's socially inept? "I apologize for misjudging you."

"There's no need," I insisted. "Your concern is understandable."

And it was— he did seem daunting at times, but his desire to protect his own family was only natural. Heck, if I were responsible for the welfare of an entire clan, I'd be menacing, too.

Hiashi cleared his throat. "Neji, why didn't you tell me before just how. . . _spirited_ your friend was?"

The younger Hyuga's pulse ran off track for half a second, as if the man containing it had been lost in thought this entire time. It was then that I realized our thighs were touching.

"Forgive me, Uncle, but could you repeat that?"

And just like that, I'd survived dinner with Lord Hyuga.

The _lub-dub_ was soon above our heads and making its way toward the door. "Keiden, I'm grateful that you decided to join us tonight. However, I hope you will not mind my speaking to Neji alone for a moment."

"Of course not," I answered, meeting Hiashi at the doorway. "And the pleasure was mine, my lord."

The instant the door clicked behind me, I shoved my fingers into my ears and removed them in rapid succession, producing the most aggravating ringing noise that blocked out all others.


	12. Chapter 12

"I must say, that's probably the longest it's ever taken me to pin you down," I mused, my thighs curling around Neji's hips as I pressed the tip of my kunai to his throat. His pulse vibrated tantalizingly all the way through the handle. Without thinking, I lowered my head and kissed whatever spot happened to be available— and it turned out to be his nose. "Well done."

My brain was telling me to get up and resume this spar, but Neji's torso was telling me how comfortable this position was. Knowing we'd both regret this later, I released my kunai and rested my head on his chest, playing with his shirt. He responded immediately, winding his arms around me and burying his face in my hair.

Why couldn't we just lay here forever?

I'd been in Konoha for so long now— the two-year mark was steadily approaching— and I'd almost convinced myself that if I hadn't remembered my past by now, I probably never would. Then again, this particular reasoning also made me feel like a ticking time-bomb: everything could be slowly building up inside me, waiting for the most inopportune moment to explode.

What was more, Neji had been acting odd these past few weeks; in fact, ever since that evening with Hiashi, he'd been much quieter than usual, and that was saying something. Even his thoughts had become mute.

"Your heart sounds so sad. . ." I whispered against his sternum, taking in his melancholy _buh-dummm_. Could he feel the clock counting down, too?

"Keiden," he breathed.

Relieved at the sound of his voice, I answered with, "Mmm?"

He moved beneath me, holding the tops of my arms in order to shift me onto his lap. I suddenly felt like a child.

"I just. . . well. . . I want to say that. . ." His heartbeat began drumming faster and faster, which made me extremely nervous.

"Neji?" My fingertips found his cheek.

"I love you," he said faintly.

My spine became rigid. _No. . . I didn't just hear that. It's a trick— a joke._ "W-what?" I managed.

"I love you, Keiden."

I immediately extracted myself from his embrace, situating myself a few feet from him.

_Wait— h-he loves me? He said it! He actually said it! But. . . he's not supposed to feel this way. . . and I. . . I can't._

The ground throbbed beneath the soles of my feet; Neji was getting closer.

"I can't," I croaked, trembling as I echoed my thoughts. _I can't love you. And you can't love me. It's not right._

His pulse faltered, and that was all it had taken for me to realize just how much those two words had marred him. I fell to my knees, hating myself for all the pain I'd inflicted upon him since our first kiss. Clutching at my head, I tried to push my whirring thoughts into the deepest, darkest corner of my skull.

Neji loved me. He'd given me his truth. But could I return the favor? _You love _him_, right?_

"I do. . ." I moaned. "I do. . ."

I was in his arms once again. "That's all I needed to hear," he murmured, his lips in my hair. We stayed like this for a moment, but then his fingers grazed my jaw before coming to rest upon my cheeks.

_Buh-dummmbuh-dummmbuh-dummmbuh-dummmbuh-dummmbuh-dummmbuh-dummm_—

"Please," he whispered beseechingly. "Marry me."

I nearly choked on my heart, which had launched itself into my throat. Those three words— so simple, yet so profound. The weight I'd been bearing for so long had finally been lifted from my shoulders, but it wasn't completely gone; I could still feel it hovering maliciously over my head. It was as if I'd been waiting to hear this all along: it meant Neji was absolutely certain that my past was exactly that— my past. He wanted to build a new future with me, no matter _what_ I was.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held him close, not wanting to let go.

"Yes," I sniffed, tears running down my face and landing with a _pit, pit, pit_ in his hair.


	13. Chapter 13

"Is one week really enough time?" I said dubiously. I knew the Hyuga's were efficient people, but planning a wedding in seven days seemed like a bit of a long shot to me, even if it was customary. "You only proposed yesterday."

"Considering that only five people will be attending," —a long yawn interrupted his answer— "one week is more than enough time," he finished.

"Five," I recited, holding up a fist. "You and me," I raised two fingers, "your uncle," another finger up, "and two elders?" I guessed, keeping my palm in the air.

"Precisely." Neji bent his own fingers over mine, trapping them in his tender hand. "It'll be a quiet ceremony."

After spending the entire night talking about anything and everything that happened to pop into our minds, we were now nestled together on my bed, totally at ease with the transformed atmosphere— one that didn't include a boatload of tension anymore.

"I think a winter wedding will be gorgeous," I noted, remembering the crunchy layers of snow from yesterday's training session.

Neji's arm slithered around my waist, a trail burning wherever he touched me. "Why do you say that?"

"Everything will be the complete opposite of what I see every day," I explained. I yearned to see white, white, white. Of course, blindness wasn't partial to personal preferences, so all I got was black, black, black.

Deciding to give Neji his own burn to nurse, I pressed my lips along the firm line of his jaw, relishing in the way his heart fluttered nervously.

I didn't want to push the issue of having a more. . . _physical_ bond, though; I was nothing if not traditional, even if my wish seemed old-fashioned to most people. And while he'd agreed with me to wait until our honeymoon, I could still sense the urge that made itself known almost as much as Neji's own heartbeat. However, it wasn't as if the desire to share this most intimate act was one-sided; in fact, if I wasn't so tired right now—

_Not helping, Keiden!_

I could wait a week. . . right?


	14. Chapter 14

I'd just crawled into bed— after bidding Neji goodnight with a long kiss— when a sound had me clutching at my blankets in shock.

_Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . ._

"I know I'm within range, Keiden," he hissed, his slippery whisper a few hundred meters west of the Compound. "I'll be blunt with you: I'm coming. Tomorrow."

Tomorrow. _The wedding._

A strangled gasp escaped my lips.

"Don't worry," he murmured, his voice snaking unpleasantly under my skin. "As long as you come quietly, everyone else will be safe."

That was it, then. He only wanted me.

If I kept my mouth shut, nobody else would get hurt. As terrified as I was about the prospect of leaving with this man— Sakura had mentioned his formidable skills more than once when I'd helped her at the hospital— the fear that he'd harm my family promptly overshadowed it.

I didn't need any more time to think about it.

"I shall see you tomorrow," he purred. "Your power has captured my attention— and I can't _wait_ to discover just how strong you truly are. . ."

With that, Kabuto vanished.

I collapsed onto my mattress, shaking uncontrollably with contrasting shades of relief.

_Neji. . . I'm so sorry. . ._

After a fitful episode of tangling myself in my blanket, I gave up on sleep and pushed myself off my bed. A steaming cup of tea sounded like the most magnificent thing in the world right now, so, without further ado, I padded down the hall to where I figured the community kitchen was— the faint smell of burnt-on. . . _something_ that was branded into my memory had made it easy.

However, a _lub-dub_ was already at the stove.

"Good evening, Lord Hyuga," I whispered.

"Keiden," he acknowledged politely. He still seemed rather uncomfortable around me, and I couldn't really hold it against him; I'd had the audacity to tell him off, after all. "Why are you still awake at this hour?"

Too proud to reveal to him that I had no idea what time it was, I just laughed. "I could ask you the same thing, my lord."

"Tea?" Hiashi offered. "Maybe then, we can talk."

"I'd love some," I said, touched by his thoughtfulness. Settling myself into the nearest chair, I accepted the proffered cup from him and cradled the scalding porcelain amongst grateful fingers.

"Couldn't sleep?" he guessed. "Then again, it comes as no surprise that you're nervous."

I smiled to hide the fact that I could only play along. "Maybe this tea will warm my feet up."

Hiashi chuckled. "The more I think about it, the more you remind me of Neji's mother."

"Oh?" I breathed, struggling to keep my already wild emotions in line. Neji had never told me about his mother— not that I'd ever asked about her. When I'd first entered the Hyuga Compound, it hadn't taken me long to realize there wasn't a mother— or a father— in the picture. "How so?"

"She was very aggressive, especially when she wanted to get her point across. In the earlier days that my brother had known her, they'd spend hours arguing," he answered, a hint of fondness in his tone. "Of course, she'd always win."

"That _does_ sound like me." I grinned.

"And she made Hizashi so happy. It's a pity Neji was never able to meet her."

It was a moment before I could speak again. "Oh," I said softly.

"Her pregnancy had been difficult," Hiashi noted sadly. "But she was brave until the very end."

My cup shook in my hands, and I prayed the Hyuga wouldn't notice. The dread that came from my decision bubbled through my veins, stinging my heart with each little pulse.

_Until the very end. . ._

"Keiden?" Hiashi said. "Are you all right?"

Frantic, I checked myself for whatever had betrayed me— and discovered a single tear running down my cheek.

"It wasn't my intention to upset you—"

"I'm fine," I said, arranging my features in what I hoped to be a smile. "I should probably try going to sleep again." I stood up, trying not to knock over the chair in my haste to get away.

"Wait," Hiashi told me. "I sensed something was wrong the moment you entered the room. I may not be of much help, but you can tell me what's troubling you."

I winced inwardly at the genuine concern in his voice. What I wouldn't _give_ to tell someone— no. Letting Hiashi know would put him at risk. His innocence was the only thing that would save him.

"That's very kind of you," I finally answered, the last word cracking. "But I can assure you that I'm okay— I just don't like anticipating big events."

". . . if you're sure," he replied warily.

"I am," I sighed. Using boldness to grind my terror into the ground, I felt around the air until my fingertips found the material at Hiashi's right shoulder. It had been simple enough to press my lips to the top of his head after that. "Good night, my lord."

His pulse stuttered, as if unsure about what I'd just done.

Before I let him say anything, I shuffled hurriedly back to my room, shutting the door and throwing myself onto my bed once more, my chest heaving with unshed sobs.


	15. Chapter 15

_How can I make sure he won't return to the village? What if I can't stand his experiments for more than a day? What if he kills— _

"Gotcha." Neji's breath was at my ear; to my immense shock, he'd managed to entrap me. His victory was short-lived, however, for he immediately let me go.

"I knew you could do it." This cheerful mask of mine was already beginning to wear thin. "We should call it a day, while you're ahead. I'll let you have something to brag about for a while."

The _buh-dummm_ travelled elatedly through the icy breeze, but, nevertheless, Neji let me take his hand. I must have grabbed it too tightly, though; he rubbed little circles into the tender skin of my palm with his much rougher thumb, as if trying to get me to relax.

As we walked back to the Compound, I forced myself not to think about this evening— which, of course, led me to think about this evening. Neji stayed quiet; he must have sensed a bit of my tension, but the fact that he didn't ask about it caused me to believe that he probably thought my concerns were directed at something like the site of our honeymoon.

All too soon, we were standing in one of the Compound's many hallways. Neji tugged at my hand, force of habit causing him to head for my room in order to drop me off. I stayed rooted to the spot, not ready to leave him just yet. His fingers skimmed my shoulder.

"If you don't mind my asking. . ." I began, nervous. "May I bathe with you?" If I couldn't pull myself together soon, I was going to end up screaming my lungs out. A quiet bath with my fiancée seemed like a good way to lower my peaking stress levels.

"Of course," Neji said. He took a moment to grab the necessities, and his fingers locked with mine once more. "This way."

The steam of his bathhouse flickered down my throat the second we stepped inside, twisting loosely around my muscles and caressing the skin of my neck and hands.

There was a shuffle coming from where Neji stood. "I won't look," he promised.

I quickly discarded my clothes and hopped into the boiling depths, shuddering at how my legs seemed to be turning into jelly. "I'm decent," I called quietly.

As Neji stripped and dunked himself into the water as well, I couldn't help but imagine inky waves clinging to his body and plastering his hair against his alabaster skin. . .

His hands were at the tops of my arms, and I could feel him coaxing me to his chest. I obliged, nuzzling my head just beneath his collarbone and scooping handfuls of hot water onto his arms. This felt _wonderful_. . . and he'd occasionally kiss me, his mouth finding a new spot every time. It was almost enough to make me forget about what was to come.

Almost.

Drying ourselves off, we went into Neji's room, wearing the bathrobes he'd gathered earlier. I pressed my palms to the walls, navigating my way to his bed and climbing onto it. I didn't have much time left with him, and I could already hear Hinata's _do-dum_ coming down the hallway. . .

There was something I wanted to do before it was too late.

Neji soon joined me, though he kept his distance. "Keiden. . ."

I wouldn't let him finish: throwing myself at him, I crushed my lips to his, catching him completely by surprise. Instead of pushing me away, however, he released my mouth and pressed his own onto the hypersensitive skin at my throat. His hands, having done nothing at first, were now underneath my robe, clutching eagerly at my waist, my hips. . . I moaned just as I heard Hinata raising a hand to—

_Knock knock knock._

"Keiden? Are you in there?" she said timidly from the other side of the door.

Chagrined, I let Neji go, panting shakily as he, too, tried to catch his breath.

"Just a moment," I assured her, driving every last bit of negative emotion out of myself and smiling at Neji. "I'll see you very soon." Barely managing a wink, I hopped off his bed and opened the door.

"I checked your room," Hinata explained. "But you weren't there. Are you ready?"

It was so nice of Neji's much more soft-spoken cousin to volunteer to dress me for the ceremony; I haven't had a good conversation with her in a long time. "Yes," I said, taking the hand that gently brushed my forearm.

"I'm sorry if I. . . interrupted anything," Hinata whispered when we made it to her own bedroom. The smell of lilacs danced through the air as she closed the door behind her.

"Don't you worry about a thing," I chided flippantly. "Besides, Neji probably doesn't know how to put a wedding dress on."

The young woman beside me laughed quietly, already helping me out of my robe. Her expert fingers tickled my shoulders when she slipped a very strange material over me; it _smelled _like silk, but there was something else in there, something unfamiliar. . .

She must have seen the confused look on my face. "I had to alter this dress, but I didn't have any silk thread. I used cashmere thread instead."

"Alter?" I said.

"Neji's mother was much taller than you are," she explained.

_Oh_. "Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes?" she replied.

Though the heiress wasn't as close of a friend to me as her younger sister was, we still had a very strong, albeit silent, camaraderie; not many words needed to be provided for her in order to alert her of a fishy situation— a talent very much like mine. In this case, however, I couldn't let Hinata on to what was nagging me at the moment. Keeping this in mind, I maintained my somewhat calmer façade and proceeded to steer her in the direction I wanted her to go.

"If it isn't too much to ask. . ." I began, holding my hair out of the way as she buttoned the back of my dress.

"What is it, Keiden?" she prodded kindly.

I let go of my hair, which she immediately ran her nimble fingers through, plaiting it in such a way that I soon lost track of its journey. "Can I dress you for your wedding. . . when the time comes?"

Her movements came to a stop. "'W-when'?"

I giggled, an anxious squeak. "C'mon, you don't think Naruto's gonna wait forever, do you?"

"Um. . . w-well. . ." There was a new heat around me— Hinata was _definitely_ blushing now. "I'd. . . um. . . I'd l-love to have you dress me."

I found her hand and patted it. "Thanks, Hinata."

We stayed quiet for only a little while after that, long enough for Hinata to finish doing my hair. She gave a contented sigh, seemingly pleased with her work.

"I'll just let Father know we're ready," she told me, her _do-dum_ already at the door. "Then he'll fetch Neji. You'll be the last person to enter the ceremonial room."

"Okay," I said, my voice small.

She pitter-pattered away, the flowery scent pressing lusciously from every corner now that I was the only one in the room.

I had ninety seconds at most: sprinting noiselessly to my own room, I threw open the door and searched for the medical pouch I'd recently started bringing to my training sessions with Konoha's current genin. The moment my fingernails scrabbled against the thick canvas of the pouch, I hastily undid the zipper and probed for the tiny, glass object that could end it all, followed by the vial of the cooked flour-and-water mixture I'd prepared before anyone had woken up this morning. Dabbing this concoction onto the glass, I promptly stuck the pill-like object at the hollow spot behind my earlobe. It fused to my skin, tingling for a few seconds before puckering securely into place.

_Good. . . it won't go anywhere until I want it to. . ._

Shoving my pouch away again, I raced back to Hinata's room and sat carefully on the floor, spreading my skirt around me as neatly as I could.

_Do-dum, do-dum, do-dum. . ._

"I'm not sure when the elders will come in, but Father told me it was all right to bring you now," Hinata said, the delicate bones of her knees meeting the ground next to me. "We'll wait just outside the door."

I nodded, twisting my fingers together. Suddenly, Hinata's hands were on top of mine.

"Keiden." She gave a comforting squeeze. "This is a happy day."

Understanding that she was just trying to help— only a fool wouldn't be able to sense the shade of tension that enveloped me— I smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"And I. . . um, I just wanted t-to thank you. . ."

I blinked. "What on earth for?"

Her grip tightened for a fraction of a second. "As much as he tried to hide it, Neji was suffering for years. I've been meaning to thank you for changing that."

It took almost everything I had not to spill the beans, right then and there. "Don't make me cry _before_ the wedding, Hinata!" I said playfully, cementing my mask to my face until there were no more air bubbles.

She laughed, a single note. "It's time."

We stood, still holding hands, and walked carefully toward a room I'd never been to before. I could hear Neji and Hiashi on the other side of the door, while two less familiar heartbeats thrummed nearby. The elders.

I was just about to let Hinata know that we didn't need to wait any longer, but she opened the door before I could even take a breath.

"Oh. Everyone's here already." It was odd, listening to the way the door muffled her voice while her pulse rang loud and clear at the same time. "You can come in, Keiden."

"Thanks," I mouthed, knowing she'd see it. I stepped past her, and she closed the door again.

_Buh-uh-dummm._

I guessed Neji was quite surprised at the sight of his mother's dress on me. This thought brought a small lump to my throat; did he miss her, even though he'd never met her?

"Hinata has outdone herself," came Hiashi's voice from a point not too far from Neji. "You look lovely."

"Thank you," I said, praying that I wasn't blushing as I made my way toward the _lub-dub._

"Right there is far enough," the clan leader instructed. "Kneel down."

_Huh. There must be an altar or something._

I obliged, settling as gracefully as a blind person could. It felt so much better, being next to Neji, no matter how terrified I was about what would soon happen. I was now determined to make the most of this occasion.

Neji hadn't been kidding when he'd said the ceremony would be quiet: Hiashi had spoken for the most part, reading from what I'd assumed to be an ancient scroll— judging by the authenticity of the language— and letting Neji and me know when to exchange rings. I'd actually forgotten to ask anybody about them; I'd been much too distracted. I'd also found it peculiar when Neji's heartbeat had faltered for the second time this evening; it hadn't taken me long, though, to figure out that these rings had belonged to his mother and father.

Soon enough, a quill was placed in my hand, and Neji's assuring fingers guided me to what felt, funnily enough, like parchment. Then there was a reverent chorus of "Congratulations," and I was left alone with the _buh-dummm_ that soothed me, even during a time like this.

My husband— even my brain tripped over the word— cupped my face in his hands, his thoughts shooting ecstatic darts into my forehead.

"How I wish I could see you," I said, tears in my throat. I caressed his lips, which had been grinning for who knew how long. _I could memorize you forever. . ._

"But you _can_ see me," he told me. "You're the only one who ever has."

I hugged him, hiding the agony that I could feel my features twisting into. "I love you so much." I had to tell him that out loud, at the very least. He had to know.

He responded by wrapping his own arms around me, burying me further into his chest.

_Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . ._

_He's here._

In Neji's room.

Not wanting to think about how he'd gotten past the guards, I kept my charade going. _Just a little longer. ._ . I chuckled against Neji. "Where?" Even though I'd most likely never get the chance to experience it, I wanted to know what Neji had planned in terms of our honeymoon.

"We're spending five days at a private bathhouse, just outside the border of northern Konoha."

"That sounds. . . perfect." And it did. This time, however, it was just the thought that counted. _Thank you so much, Neji._

We held each other and headed to Neji's room, and I thanked the heavens that Neji had let his guard down; this would make things so much easier.

I knew exactly where _he_ was standing, and as much as I wanted to jump in front of my husband and defend him, I could only sit back and listen to something blunt hitting a skull and a man crumpling to the ground.

"I suggest we get going," Kabuto whispered, an all-too familiar _pop_ indicating his Transformation Jutsu. He took my hand, my fingers now throbbing in his vice-like grip.

I nodded, not needing to be conscious anymore to turn my features into stone.

Hiashi was waiting to see us off at the front gate, and the icy wind mixed our scents into a wintry mush in the air.

"Keiden," he said.

I managed a tiny smile in his direction, but that was it.

"Neji," Hiashi continued.

"Uncle," Kabuto replied respectfully in a remarkable imitation of my husband's voice. My heart flinched painfully.

_Run, Lord Hyuga, run. . ._

"I wish the two of you a safe journey."

"Thank you, Uncle," Kabuto said, squeezing my hand, if possible, even harder. "We'll seek another form of shelter if the snow gets out of hand."

I repressed the shivers that coursed through my bones. We both knew exactly where this "other form of shelter" was going to be.

Without further ado, Kabuto wrapped an arm around my waist, his palm at my hip, and leapt into the nearest tree.

"Exciting, isn't it?" he crooned, his mouth at my throat. "I wonder if he'll come after us. . ."

I stiffened under him. "Let's get out of here," I said flatly.

Neji would eventually figure out why I'd done this, why I'd gone with Kabuto. I just wordlessly entreated to whoever happened to be listening that, once he did, he would _not_ come looking for me. As long as I stayed alive, he and the rest of the village would be safe. And, the moment my life was threatened, I'd bring out the last hope that was nestled beneath my earlobe.

I probably wouldn't be returning to Konoha.

But neither would Kabuto.


	16. Chapter 16

I coughed shakily, something hot and metallic flooding up my throat.

"Get up," Kabuto hissed. There was the sound of a pen scratching paper. The thought that somebody could be so cold as to record the amount of torture he was putting another person under made me want to throw up.

_I have to be strong._ This was only just the beginning, even though I had absolutely no idea how long I'd been in this hideout; it could have been five minutes. . . or five years. Either way, I couldn't show Kabuto how weak I was becoming.

He'd given me neither food nor water this entire time— he'd told me he was researching how different body types held up without proper nourishment— and I was definitely starting to feel it. I felt so light, and, yet, so heavy; and the fact that I was steadily losing alarming amounts of blood wasn't helping.

I stood, forcing myself not to put a hand to the stony wall for support. I'd received a hard blow to the heart from another one of the devices Kabuto had been working on; this time, he'd wanted to see just how the human body could adjust to various forces of impact. His heartbeat relished in every hit, every cut, every burn. . . and I still had trouble figuring out which was worse: that, or the way he'd bandage me up after every experiment, as if he were making amends in a sick, twisted way.

"Hmm. . ." he mused quietly. "That was the highest setting. . ."

Shuddering, I wondered what he'd have in store for me this time; he'd already burned my legs beyond recognition with an acid that was meant to reduce my imperviousness to chakra, clawed the front of my torso to bloody shreds in order to increase my threshold of pain, and starved me to the point of collapsing simply to make a record of my stamina. . . would he break my bones next? Bury me alive? With Kabuto, the possibilities were endless.

Suddenly, he was right in front of me, his breath snaking down my forehead. Then his hands were caressing my tender stomach, fingering the places where we both knew the gouge marks were. I gritted my teeth to keep my agonized gasp to myself, hating the way Kabuto easily pressed me against the wall and put his lips to my collarbone. I pulled away, my palms almost, _almost_ straying to my heart.

"Why not just give in?" he murmured, bringing me to him again. "I won't hurt you. . ."

"Hilarious," I growled, extracting myself from his grip.

As long as I was alive, Kabuto would _not_ have me. He could maim me until I didn't look human anymore, but he could never take what was meant for my husband. A saddened jolt ran through my heart. _Neji. . ._

Kabuto chuckled, the sound as dark as his intentions. "You'll succumb soon enough."

He grabbed my arm, leading me to what I assumed was another machine meant to "test" my abilities. My wrists and ankles were soon bound, Kabuto's fingers lingering for too long at each of these places. He wasn't going to have the advantage of knowing how scared I was. I'd never asked him what his machines would do to me; I'd simply waited.

Nothing was happening yet. Nervous, I gulped silently—

He began unbuttoning the back of my dress.

I thrashed away from his touch, now terrified that I wouldn't be able to run, but his hands caught my waist and pushed me roughly against him.

"Relax," he muttered. "It's part of the experiment, that's all."

If he were in front of me, I would have spit at him. He continued undoing the buttons, the _bo-dum_ beating eagerly behind me. His fingers brushed the unmarked skin at my back, causing frightened goosebumps to treacherously reveal themselves.

"You know," he breathed, "I just can't get over how _soft_ your skin is. . ."

I froze in horror as I felt his lips on my spine, and I suddenly became very dizzy. _No, no— please. . . stop it!_

But he let me go, his pulse moving away.

I didn't know whether to be relieved or petrified; he wasn't latched onto me anymore, but that could only mean one thing—

There was a loud _crack,_ and my back was on fire. Before I could gather my wits, the crack resounded again, bringing with it another round of flames. I was too shocked to even scream. Amidst the sounds of what I finally guessed to be a whip, I could hear Kabuto taking more notes, and I felt sick all over again. If I'd thought his other experiments had been torturous before. . . then this was beyond agony. There wasn't even a word out there that could do it justice.

Something white-hot and heavy flowed into my bloodstream, and the pain increased tenfold. _Don't scream, Keiden. . . don't do it. . _. I bit my lip, gasping as I broke the skin and tasted a warm liquid that dripped down my chin.

I didn't know how long this turmoil had gone on, but, then, it was over. The whip had stopped tormenting the raw skin at my back, but the deep pain was still there; with every _ba-dum_ of my exhausted heart, the flames licked at my new wounds.

"Incredible." Kabuto was behind me once more. "Even without the poison, my other guinea pigs passed out on the first hit."

_Poison? _

He undid the binds, and I willed myself not to crumple to the floor, clenching my fists as the heat continued to pump relentlessly at my back. "Absolutely incredible. . ."

It must have been time for his perverse first-aid routine, so I braced myself.

I was pinned beneath him in an instant.

This move had caused the stone floor to scrape at the broken skin, creating such an array of pain that a piercing scream escaped before I knew what was happening. Kabuto covered my mouth with a hand, his breath hot in my ear.

"Shh. . . it's all right. . ." he purred, his hips grating against mine.

I shrieked under his weight, my eyes tearing up at the smarting of my wounds.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" His other hand trailed up and down the parts of my back he could reach, and I screamed again. "Shh. . ."

This time, his hand travelled down my leg, clutching at the fabric of my skirt and pushing it upward.

"No— stop! Leave me alone, please!" My cries were still muffled by his powerful hand. There was nothing I could do; my body wouldn't listen to me anymore. "Let go. . . let go. . ." I whimpered before screaming once more, for Kabuto had dug his fingernails into my shoulder blades.

"Mmm. . . but doesn't this feel so _good_?" His mouth was at my neck, biting greedily at the sensitive skin there. Every movement sent a shock right through me, and, all the while, I was selfishly wishing for death.

His hand was at my thigh again, twisting it around his hip, and a sharp, new pain attacked me now, thrusting itself into me over and over and over—

"_No!_ No, please, _please_!" I couldn't move, I was so limp. "P-please!" I cried. _Let it be over oh please just let it be over I can't take this anymore please please please._

He was panting heavily, his heart savoring every moment. "Oh, but isn't this for your _dear_ Neji?" He pressed himself even harder against me. "You're telling me you don't _want_ to protect him anymore?"

I cried weakly at the mention of my husband, the hand on my mouth soon catching my tears. Kabuto released my thigh and ran his fingers through my hair, as if trying to soothe me. His other hand joined it not long after.

"I'll give you the night to think about how selfish you're being," he said coldly. "Maybe tomorrow, you'll see sense."

In an instant, he was gone. There wasn't even a trace of his heartbeat.

Shaking with tormented sobs, I somehow found it in me to roll onto my left side and fix my skirt— an action that had racked hotly through me.

Tomorrow. He was going to do this to me again _tomorrow_.

I put a fist to my mouth in an effort not to moan at that prospect while simultaneously trying not to concentrate on the coppery smell pooling beneath me. Would I even make it to tomorrow? I mentally kicked myself, wishing it would hurt more than _this_. I absolutely _had_ to make it to tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And every day afterward. . . until I'd taken Kabuto down with me. No matter how much I had to endure, I simply had to keep my family safe.

I shuddered, wincing at the accompanying rip of my back.

"Neji. . ." I croaked. "I'm so tired. . ."


	17. Chapter 17

I didn't know how long I'd been wavering on the brink of consciousness, but a sudden _bo-dum_ snapped me back to reality, a rush of icy air scratching my exposed skin.

He made his way over to me, and I flinched involuntarily. "Have you made your decision?" His voice echoed eerily along the stone.

I willed myself to sit up, taking extra care not to brush my back against the wall. The simple movement had me boiling, the cuts stretching painfully. I thought I'd adequately prepared myself for another round of turmoil, but I was wrong— my control was already dwindling rapidly.

"I see," Kabuto whispered. His hands were at my ankle at once, pulling at the bandages he'd placed there. Only his heartbeat kept me company as he slowly unwound the bindings, his fingers quivering as he got closer to my thigh. I held my breath while he did the same to my other leg and pushed my skirt higher and higher with each unwrapping motion, but he made no move to attack me again. Just as he tugged the material at my shoulders, possibly aiming to remove the bandages from my stomach next, a sharp hiss escaped me.

"Don't touch it," I gasped without thinking, furious at my weakness.

He sighed. "Your tolerance of pain is extraordinary," he said gently, cupping my face in his hands. "But I'm afraid I'm already growing bored of this."

My heart nearly stopped beating. _Is he saying. . .?_

"Don't you worry that pretty head of yours. I'll take _good_ care of your husband when I return to the village. . ."

I focused automatically on two new sounds that had entered this part of the hideout— and my blood froze.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . . fro-lum, fro-lum, fro-lum. . ._

_What're you two doing?! You can't be here! You can't be!_ I wanted to yell at them, to warn them. "N-no—"

Kabuto's hand was at my throat, cutting off what little air I had. "Shh. . . but, you know, I really am going to miss your skin. . . so soft. . ."

My eyes widened, and before I could reach for my only weapon, his fingernails pierced my shoulder, tearing into the fabric of my dress, and scraped a stinging trail all the way down to my wrist. I didn't have any remaining oxygen to scream.

There was a roar in my ears, and I was getting too dizzy. _C'mon, Keiden. . . fight! Fight!_

"Any last words?" Kabuto said quietly, his voice dragging in an evil slither.

I was dying. . . I couldn't move my right arm anymore, and my left soon stopped clawing at the hand that was strangling me. . . I had to kill Kabuto, before it was too late. . . but my strength was gone.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" came a shout, the _fro-lum_ charging right at Kabuto.

Suddenly, my lungs heaved again, but my throat had constricted so tightly that I had trouble getting enough air. My left hand grasped stupidly at my chest, as if I could easily pull off whatever was suffocating me. Frightened, I kept my gaze directed at Kabuto, who sounded like he'd been lifted a few inches off the ground by Kakashi.

"Neji! Get her out of here!"

Neji. He shouldn't have come here, he shouldn't have come after us! And _Kakashi_. . . getting him involved as well only made matters more complicated. Kabuto was too powerful— they needed to retreat while they still could.

There was a tender arm at my shoulders, and I gave an unconscious shiver as another dose of fire rushed through me. _Leave me. . . go, Neji! Get away from here!_

Kabuto laughed, a dark noise in the midst of familiarity. "Come here to save her, have you? I think you're a bit late for that. Look at her."

_Zing!_

_NO!_

"She won't last another five—"

I dashed toward Kabuto, ripping the vial from my skin with my right hand and shoving Kakashi away from us with my left. With a final push, I jabbed the needle into Kabuto's neck, just as something pricked my right shoulder. With that tiny air bubble, the _bo-dum_ ceased immediately.

Coughing, I tried to control my shaking limbs in an effort to remain upright, but to no avail; I stumbled, ready to hit the icy stone, but gentle hands caught me, cradling me. The throbbing in my right shoulder was getting worse, and I instinctively reached for it, pulling out the vial meant for Kakashi.

"Byakugan," Neji whispered.

There was a moment of complete silence, and I used that time to attempt to get a handle on my breathing.

"She poisoned him. . ." he murmured, seemingly astonished. He then lifted me, hugging me to his chest.

". . . no. . ." I wheezed, agonized by my husband's touch. ". . . vial. . . had a-air. . ." My features tightened as Kabuto's poison began to pump a heavy ache through my arm.

"We've got to get out of here."

"Right," Kakashi replied solemnly. I heard a small scuffle and a grunt as he seemingly lifted something. "Lady Tsunade told me to bring him back."

I was fading, and quickly; my shivering had reached a new level, which only increased the amount of pain in my back, and my windpipe was still crushed under my skin, making the simple task of breathing nearly impossible. Everything was hot and cold at the same time, which scared me.

_Bdm bdm bdm bdm. . ._ "Give her to me."

Slipping in and out of the world made it difficult to comprehend what Sakura was doing to me, but I let her work nonetheless. It was when I felt her fingers stroke the buttons at my back that I twitched away from her, now completely aware of what she was about to do.

". . . don't. . . t-touch. . ." I whimpered, trying to escape from her light hold, but this only hurt more.

She put something thick and warm on top of me, and her heartbeat left me— I was too tired to even focus on where she was going— only to return moments later with Neji's.

I was being lifted again, my head now resting on the _buh-dummm._ I knew what was going to happen next, but there was nothing I could do. Trying once more to regulate my breathing, I caught snippets of what Sakura was saying to Neji about a large needle.

". . . no. . . d-don't. . ." I wouldn't be able to hold back—

White-hot lava bit and tore at my skin, pouring salt into every raw niche. My mouth opened of its own accord, producing a blood-curdling noise that echoed painfully around me. Almost as soon as the string of anguish had started, however, it stopped.

I shuddered, wincing. ". . . stop. . . please. . ."

Nobody would listen. The magma was back again, licking eagerly at the gouges. This was too much— why couldn't it just end already? I'd be better off dead.

". . . kill. . . me. . ." I begged when the heat ceased again. ". . .k-kill. . ."

Something soft touched my ear. "Third time's a charm. . . third time's a charm. . ." His lips were shaking while he chanted, as if he, too, were in pain.

A jolt of fear ran through me. _Be strong. . . for Neji. . ._

Another burst of lightening shocked my back, but, this time, I was determined not to scream. I buried my face into his shirt, going limp when it was all over. Soon, there was a new weight on me, and I was hot again, this time in a more pleasant way. Neji's quivering hand was on my face.

I was aware of Sakura talking, but none of what she said made sense anymore, so I shifted my attention to my husband's frightened heartbeat. All of a sudden, something hard touched my bottom lip. A cup? Taking the hint, I tilted my head toward the drink, clenching my teeth every time I had to swallow. It was like trying to squeeze a grain of rice through a strand of hair.

Neji's cheek rested on top of my head, and I closed my eyes. I was exhausted, but the dull throbbing was preventing any kind of sleep. Neji must have sensed something was off, because he pressed his lips to each of my heavy eyelids, as if letting me know that it was all right to succumb to the realm of dreams.

". . . can't. . ." I mouthed, wincing again.

"Sakura?" he called, a note of anxiety in his tone.

Her _bdm_ was at my ear. "What's wrong?"

"Isn't there anything you can give her?" _Oh, Neji._

Sakura gasped. "I didn't think to pack any rosemary. Keiden and I discovered a while ago that it's an effective natural painkiller."

I managed, ". . . s'all right. . . Sakura. . . still. . . like you. . ." At least my sense of humor was still intact— I'd felt the need to make up for revealing my weakness to her earlier.

"Thank you, Keiden." She left again.

It was quiet for a while, so I thanked my lucky stars over and over again that everyone was safe. Kabuto was dead— he'd never return to Konoha. My heart stuttered at the thought that there was more to it than that; after all, I'd been prepared to go down as well. I kept that in mind as I spoke up.

". . . Neji. . ." I opened my eyes.

"Yes?" He sounded so relieved, which made me sad.

Sighing, I breathed, ". . . love you. . ."

"I love you, too." He kissed my forehead and combed his fingers through my hair.

Something jolted within me at that moment, and I knew Kabuto's end of the bargain was about to come to pass. I could go in peace, now, since the threat no longer existed. I decided to voice my thoughts, one last time, simply to let Neji know that everything was going to be okay.

". . . not afraid—" But that was all I could get out. I began coughing uncontrollably, my lungs shriveling around my heart. At each rattling breath, something hot travelled from my chest to my throat, flooding my mouth and running down my chin.

And everything disappeared.


	18. Chapter 18

_Ugh. . . where am I? Wait— _am_? I'm alive? _

Surprised, I concentrated on different parts of my body, reveling in the fact that I could still feel. My legs were definitely there. . . as was my torso, which didn't feel so compressed anymore. . . my head seemed to be in its proper place. . . and my arms laid faithfully by my side.

There was, however, a strange weight on my left hand. Another focused moment indicated that somebody's fingers were clasped around mine. How strange.

"I dunno if you can hear me. . ." a discouraged voice said. "But I just wanted to say that. . . uh. . . well, I miss you. We all do."

_Thrmm-dmm, thrmm-dmm, thrmm-dmm. . . _

"Neji told us about what you did," Hanabi continued, her hand trembling in mine. "Even Lady Tsunade. She visited this morning, to see how you were doing."

The tenderness that this thirteen-year-old displayed made me want to cry. She sounded so sad. . .

I urged myself to move my head, to squeeze Hanabi's fingers, to open my eyes, to say _something_. It disheartened me to discover that such an insignificant task proved to be much more difficult than previously anticipated. However, I was finally able to manage—

"Hi," I whispered.

She flinched, gasping. "K-Keiden?"

"Yeah," I breathed, glad it was already becoming easier. "It's me."

"You're— you're awake!" she squealed. She must have had enough sense not to throw her arms around me in an excited hug, for I remained immobile. "You're okay!"

I chuckled softly before forcing my eyes open, just to let her know she wasn't dreaming. "How long have I been out?" My voice sounded so _tired_.

Hanabi sighed shakily. "A week and a half. We were afraid you weren't gonna make it. But Sakura said you'd be okay."

"Come here," I said gently, holding out my free arm. As soon as the _thrmm-dmm_ was close enough, I embraced her quaking shoulders, letting her tears soak my clothes. "I'm glad you were here when I woke up, Hanabi."

She sniffed, burying her face in my hair.

We stayed like that for a while, and I stroked her coarse locks, grateful that the sensations I'd taken for granted were still with me.

Hanabi released me, padding toward where I figured a door was. "Wait 'till I tell Neji! He'll be so happy!" She then vanished.

I laughed at her enthusiasm before taking in my surroundings a bit more thoroughly: though it had been months since I'd been in one of these, I knew I was resting in a hospital bed; a tiny sting in my left arm led me to believe that there was some kind of intravenous needle there, which smelled faintly of rosemary; and the _bdm bdm bdm bdm_ that came from the wall behind my head told me that I was right next to Sakura's office.

Comforted by the familiarity of the medic's heartbeat, I snuggled into the pillows that had been carefully arranged to support my neck.

I was alive— _alive_. I'd been given another chance. I felt like weeping myself, but what greeted me next kept the waterworks at bay.

_Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . ._


	19. Chapter 19

"Guess who doesn't have to put up with me anymore?" Sakura sang.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I get to go home today? Really?"

There was a laugh. "I still can't get over just how quickly you heal. There's heavy scarring— but that's to be expected. Everything else checks out okay."

By "quickly," Sakura had meant "three weeks." Was that even normal?

"You still need to take it easy for a while," the medic said. I figured I shouldn't argue with that, as much as I wanted to.

"I'll make sure she does," Neji said quietly. I fumbled for his hand, wringing it before Sakura kicked him out of the room and helped me out of bed.

I was extremely grateful my normal clothing seemed to cover everything— showing off these battle scars wasn't something I was fond of having to do. When Neji was let back inside, he instantly made his way over to me, caressing my face in his hands and planting a small kiss on my mouth. There was so much emotion in that tiny action, practically screaming, "I missed you."

I gave the _bdm bdm bdm bdm_ a quick hug. "Thank you for everything, Sakura."

Her arms returned the tender hold. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

I couldn't help but giggle. "Or a patient," I murmured, elated beyond belief that I was finally getting out of here.

"I guess I never thought to mention this before, but. . . congratulations." Something in her tone let me know she'd said this to Neji.

"Thank you," my husband replied.

Getting the hang of walking again took no time at all, and as soon as the two of us stepped out of the hospital, a joyous _fro-lum_ approached us.

I was immediately gathered into a bear hug, my feet leaving the ground. "I'll never be able to thank you enough," Kakashi whispered into my ear.

Understanding just how much the Copy-ninja would beat himself up over this, I blurted, "Call me 'Sister.'"

_Fro-lum-um_. "W-what?"

"You're like a brother to me, Kakashi," I explained, hoping this would be good enough— I didn't want him spending the rest of his life trying to make amends. Besides, I'd _always_ thought of Kakashi as the big brother I'd never had. "Please acknowledge me as your sister. That's how you can thank me."

The air was suddenly very warm around me— was Kakashi really beaming that hard? "You've got it. . . Sis." There was a clapping sound and a sincere "Congratulations," and Kakashi was gone again.

Neji's fingers stroked my wrist, but he didn't say anything.

The journey home— _home_. . . a grand word— was lovely. Everybody from Gai-sensei to Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru visited us, cheering and laughing and bidding us congratulations. These well wishes made the walk very slow, but I didn't mind in the slightest; hearing my friends' heartbeats again was absolutely glorious.

It must have gotten dark, because by the time Neji and I finally made it to the route leading to the Hyuga Compound, the air was much, much colder.

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub. . ._

"Keiden." Hiashi grasped my hands. "It is so good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, my lord," I replied. And I'd meant it.

He chuckled. "There's no need for such formality anymore. You may call me 'Uncle.'"

I felt my eyes widen. "Uncle. . ." The word tasted funny, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

"I'll let the two of you rest," he said, his tone taking on a note that I could only identify as wisdom. Before I could react, the _lub-dub_ disappeared.

"Your room," I whispered, reading Neji's mind with ease.

"Wait— I want to do this right." He swept me off my feet.

Delighted, I laughed. "It's not the threshold of a new house. I've been in your room before."

"Hn. . ." His lips brushed the skin at my jaw. "Humor me."

I bounced lightly in his arms as he navigated his way to his room, and the moment he set me back on my feet, I made my way to his bed, curling up on top of the blankets that smelled like him.

The _buh-dummm_ settled next to me, and his fingers were at my face, tracing my features as if they'd never felt them before. In turn, I reached for him, trying to memorize every curve, every corner, of his own face. He pressed his lips to my throat, sucking gently on the delicate skin there. Heart fluttering eagerly, I grasped his shoulders, searching for the buttons of his shirt as he played with my waistband. _Closer, Neji. . . closer. . . _He kissed me full on the mouth, his hot tongue trailing my bottom lip.

"Neji. . ." His hands were on my stomach, and I helped him remove my turtleneck. "Neji. . ." His hair was so _soft_—

My thigh was suddenly around his hip— no. . . _was_ it his? Kabuto's? What was going on? A flash of pain burst through my memories, and Kabuto's coarse hands were all over me.

"No," I whimpered, my body becoming a plank. "No. . . please, stop!"

He let go. "Keiden? What is it? What's wrong?"

I snagged the blanket I'd felt earlier and quickly twisted it around myself before scooting away from him. "I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry. . ."

Why, _why_ were there two heartbeats on the bed with me? _This isn't making any sense. . . I thought he was dead— why isn't he dead?_

I tried focusing on the pulse that _didn't_ cause me to shiver. It was. . . defiant, as if telling me it would never hurt me.

_Why not just give in? I won't hurt you. . ._

"No. . . Neji. . ." I turned myself into a frightened ball. "It's not you. . ." _Get out of my head, Kabuto!_

"Keiden." A hand was on my back. . . and Kabuto dug his fingernails into the raw skin at my shoulder blades— I recoiled from the touch. "Please. . . tell me what's wrong."

"I-I can't do it," I admitted. "I can't. . . I can't give you—" My body convulsed in fear.

Without a word, the _buh-dummm_ put its arms around me.

I had to get a handle on my whirring thoughts— and I needed to tell Neji the truth. My head fell into my hands.

"He. . . h-he. . ." I gulped. _Tell him!_ "He raped me."

I was crying, finally giving in to the pain I'd locked up inside of me. As much as I hated sharing this with my husband, I knew I had to explain. He deserved that.

"The n-night he poisoned my back, I couldn't m-move. . . it h-hurt so much. . ." My voice hitched in places, making it hard to ask for forgiveness, to let him know that I would have stopped Kabuto if I could have. All I could manage was, "I'm so s-sorry. . ."

I felt exposed— pathetic. Coming clean about this ordeal made me want to slit my own throat. Now Neji would see me in my true form: I was nothing but a weakling.

"Shh. . . shh. . ." To my immense shock, he lifted me into his lap, rubbing my bare shoulders. "It's not your fault. . . please, don't blame yourself. . ."

The fact that he was comforting me only made me cry even harder.


	20. Chapter 20

"Again," I commanded before releasing Neji, irritated at the moisture that had accumulated on my palms. At that moment, a frustrating memory decided to run past me again:

"_Keiden! As Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast, I challenge you to a most youthful taijutsu spar!" Rock Lee yelled excitedly, his _poom-boom_ thumping happily at the prospect of such a battle. _

"_Um. . . Lee? It's raining," I replied, my ears hesitantly perking toward the _tch tch tch_ outside. _

"_Of course it is! We must be prepared to fight in all youthful patterns of weather— and we have not sparred in a great while!" I could easily imagine him jumping up and down. "Please? Neji can join us!" _

_I sighed. "Well, why not?"_

_He dragged us to a nearby training ground, amidst the pouring rain. We were drenched in an instant. _

"_Go for it, Lee!" I shouted. Sparring with Lee was always exhilarating. I immediately attempted to focus on the sound of his energetic heartbeat— _

_Something solid rammed into my jaw, and I fell to the soggy ground. Shaken, I scrambled to my feet, desperately trying to locate Lee again. _

_This time, the brick hit my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. _

"_What the. . .?" I murmured. _

_And then it struck me: _tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch_. . . That was all I could hear. _

_The raindrops. _

While I'd already managed to land an attack on Neji twice today, I had to make absolutely sure. This stupid rain _wasn't_ going to stop me. "Third time's a charm," I muttered, positioning myself once more.

I didn't hear anything at first, but the moment my ears picked up a tiny _squelch_, I knew I'd found him. I lunged and jabbed my leg just below his knees, throwing him off balance and pummeling him to the wet grass beneath us. Crawling next to him, I planted a kiss on his too-cold cheek. "Works every time," I said, more to myself than to him.

Suddenly, I sneezed. _Oh, great. . ._

"We should probably call it a day," Neji said.

Despising the tediousness that always tagged along with a cold, I nodded before standing up and reaching out to him. With that, we raced home, making it to Neji's bathhouse in record time.

I nearly laughed out loud at the sound of my husband's clothes falling to the floor and the resulting splash from his eager jump. After stripping quietly, I took a minute to locate where he was in the water, soon standing silently behind him. I wanted to hold him, to touch him. . . so, feeling bold, I wound my arms around his firm chest. "Anxious, aren't we?" I snickered, pressing my lips to his back.

He'd never forced himself upon me— something I'd be forever grateful for— but I knew he was positively yearning to have me. My confession had messed everything up, and I felt awful. I didn't even want to begin to think about the nightmares; those were things, however, I'd never share. It made me sad, the way he was being so kind to me, making sure I was ready. And the fact that he held me to him every night as I fell asleep assured me that I was safe, which in turn reiterated in my mind just how much _I_ wanted _him_. Deciding to give it another shot, I nibbled bravely on his earlobe.

"I don't want to be afraid anymore. . ." I told him. I navigated my way around his form, kissing the slightly raised bone that was his clavicle. "I just want you."

As I seized his mouth with my own, he wrapped my thighs around his waist, lifting our intertwined bodies out of the bath. My back soon hit his mattress.

I smiled reassuringly. "It's all right. . ." He was shaking a little, his feverish forehead resting on mine. "It's all right. . ." I took his lips once more, and already his tongue was demanding entrance. I gasped loudly, letting him explore my mouth in such a way that had me clinging desperately to him. He shivered again, this time with ecstatic pleasure, and his rough fingers were _everywhere_.

A warm pain was inside me, and the bones of Neji's hips gnashed so deliciously against my own. I clutched at his back, wanting to get even closer, and he groaned into my neck, a husky sound that had me moaning right along with him.

The bliss had me exhausted in hardly any time at all; I tried holding onto him for a little while longer, but the attempt was in vain.

I became slack in his grip, the fogs of sleep already clogging my ears.


	21. Chapter 21

_I wonder what Neji'll think of this. ._ . "Even though I don't have the Byakugan, d'you think I'd still be fast enough to simultaneously attack the pressure points of my opponents?"

Whoa— he hadn't done that awkward-silence thing in a _long_ time. Figuring it was a good opportunity to brush up on my mind-reading skills, I hazarded with an explanation.

"If the enemy is too strong, I'll need to have the upper hand in terms of speed."

"Hn," he finally replied. "You _already _have the upper hand in terms of speed."

_Humph_. "No, that's different— I can pin people to the ground before they know what hit them, but they can just as easily get up again."

Was he _laughing_ at me? "You're doubtful of your strength as well?"

"All right, fine!" I threw my hands up in a playful semblance of defeat. "I'm just running out of material!"

Neji was quiet again.

"Okay. . . maybe I _am_ getting bored. . ." I scratched my head.

His heartbeat was high above my head. "Ready when you are."

Thrilled, I hopped up as well— but something began pulling me from side to side. Vertigo? "It's okay. . ." I shook my head, and the tugging stopped. Odd. "Head rush." I must have stood too quickly.

Using the information Sakura had given me so many months ago, and the mental picture of my husband's body I'd gathered from the few times we'd embraced in bed, I charged at him. I kept my hands in tight fists, save for my middle fingers— they jutted out slightly, producing bony knobs that were perfect for striking pressure points.

Temporal, carotid, axillary, brachial, radial, ulnar, femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis, tibialis posterior. . . I was just about to attack those same points on his right side, but the slash of Neji's kunai sliced the air. I retreated.

"Shoot— not fast enough," I murmured. Raising my voice, I called out, "Sorry, Neji! It'll wear off in a minute!"

At the sound of his relieved sigh, I steered toward him again, trying a different approach and aiming for his arms first. The _buh-dummm_ hit the ground, and the rubbery smell of his sandals became level with my waist. _Great— he's gonna kick me!_ I leapt away just in time with a grunt.

"Third time's a—" My stomach jerked unpleasantly, and my knees felt like they were melting. I grabbed the nearest tree for support just as another painful spasm forced my eyes closed.

"Are you all right?" Neji's pulse was beside me now.

"Just give me a minute. I'll be fine. . ." Something lurched sharply inside me.

"Keiden, you don't sound fine."

". . . I think I'm gonna be sick," I gasped. My legs collapsed beneath me, and I threw up, the motions wrenching angrily at my tender stomach.

When I was certain that I was completely empty, I hastily wiped my mouth. "Sorry about that. . . I just felt so _off_ all of a sudden. . ." What on earth was going on?

"There's no need to apologize. . . Keiden?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think. . . I mean, could it be that. . .?"

I took in a jagged breath. Was Neji saying what I thought he was saying? "No _way_!" I squeaked, pressing both hands onto my abdomen.

We left the grounds at once, hurrying all the way to the hospital.

"Keiden! Neji! What's going on? Are you okay?" came Sakura's voice the moment we stepped through the front door.

I laughed breathlessly at her worried tone. "We're fine, Sakura. Everything's fine."

"Oh," she sighed. "Well, then, what brings you here? I thought you hated this place, Keiden."

Neji spoke up then— or, at least, _tried_ to speak up. "We think that. . . uh, we weren't sure if. . ." His heart thumped helplessly. "We wanted to know. . ."

"_Oh!_" Sakura squealed. I felt her hand at my wrist. "_You_, my friend, are coming with me!"

Without further ado, I was promptly dragged into an unfamiliar room, the door slamming shut behind me. Poor Neji. . . now he wouldn't be able to hear what was going on. . .

Sakura sat me on something that crinkled under my weight, and she rolled up one of my sleeves. "I'll be taking a blood sample to test for hCG, okay?"

"Okay," I answered, my voice quivering with anticipation. There was a quick prick at a spot near my elbow, and I tried to concentrate on something other than the feel of the heavy liquid flowing out of my arm.

"There," the medic said, removing the needle. "This'll take a few minutes, so sit tight. I'll be right back."

Only nodding this time, I listened to the _bdm_ leave. I found it strange that the sound of the door opening didn't send Neji's pulse flooding into the room— which led me to believe that this place probably had another door.

My insides twitched animatedly at the thought of what could be growing within me. I'd always had a way with kids, and the prospect of having one of my own sent happy flutters up and down my spine. It took nearly everything I had not to bang down the other door and demand to hear the results.

But, because my sense of time always did this to me, Sakura emerged much sooner than I thought. She took my hand, squeezing it gently.

_Please please please please please please please— _

"Congrats, Mom."

I jumped up and threw my arms around my friend's waist, fighting the urge to scream with joy.

She giggled. "Go— tell Neji before the two of you explode!"

Obliging instantaneously, I shuffled as gracefully as I could to the door that led to my husband, opening it with a _creak_. I wanted to have just a _tiny_ bit of fun at Neji's expense, so I erased all emotion from my face before stepping out to greet him.

The _buh-dummm_ flopped dejectedly.

_Okay, stop torturing the proud papa. . ._ I pulled him into a jubilant hug. "I'm pregnant!"


	22. Chapter 22

"So. . . notice anything different?" I asked slyly, keeping my fingers from straying to my stomach after I handed Kakashi a cup of tea.

"Hmm. . ." he said thoughtfully. "Lemme see. . . new haircut?"

"Nope." I grinned.

"I know— you've finally gotten taller!" he exclaimed.

_C'mon, you can do better than that_! "Guess again."

"What, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"I am!" I squealed. "Four months along!"

Even his _fro-lum_ seemed to ponder the news. "I've gotta say, Sis," he finally said, "that that's the tiniest 'I'm four months along' belly I've ever seen. You _sure _there's a baby in there?"

I lifted my hand, aiming for his arm, and smacked him.

Seemingly undaunted, he continued. "Are you still training?"

"Oh, goodness, no. At least, not the sparring part. Just basic sensory stuff— Sakura said I could do that much." _And she threatened to kill me if I tried anything funny. . ._ I touched my little bulge, smiling as I thought about just how much the "basic sensory stuff" consisted of locating the baby's head or waiting for it to jab its ankles at me.

"Staying sharp for the little man?" Kakashi laughed.

_Good— so I'm not the only one!_ "You think it's a boy, too?" I pointed accusingly at the _buh-dummm_ next to me. "He's convinced that it's a girl."

"Figures," Kakashi replied.

As we sipped our tea, we kept bringing up things like what we'd name it if it was a boy or a girl; who'd take care of it if anything ever happened to me or Neji; how big it was going to end up the day it was born; how ugly it would be— I had to slap Kakashi again for that one; if it would be blind, like me; if it would have the Byakugan, like Neji; if it would be born without eyesight but also _with_ the Byakugan. . .

"It's getting late. I should probably get going."

I found his waist and gave it a hug, the _fro-lum_ right at my ear. "Come back anytime, Brother."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for having me, Neji. See ya, Sis."

With a _pop_, he vanished.

"He seems almost as excited as we are. I could hear him smiling the entire time." I unconsciously cradled my belly.

Neji put his hands on top of mine and kissed my cheek. I was glad he was so thrilled about having a child to call his own— every time I'd brought the subject up before we were married, he hadn't seemed too enthused. I didn't think he'd ever tell me what had caused him to have such a change of heart, but I didn't mind—

Something poked me— from the _inside_— making me jump. "Oh. . . _oh_. . ." I gasped.

"Keiden?" Neji murmured.

I immediately directed his hands to where I'd felt the small prod.

"What are you. . .?"

"Shh. . ." I breathed.

There it was again! "There. . . did you feel that?" Because Neji didn't answer right off the bat, I held his hands even closer. _Come on. . . come on. . ._

It had to be an ankle— it just _had_ to be! "It's kicking. The baby's kicking. . ."


	23. Chapter 23

_Ta-tmm, ta-tmm, ta-tmm. . . _

"Tenten!" I cried. "Long time, no see!"

She giggled. _Man, I've missed her._ "I'm glad I ran into you guys. I just got back from Suna, and I found this great book that I thought you might enjoy." It seemed like eons ago that I'd told the weapon's specialist about my peculiar interest in books. There was a _fft_ as she seemed to rummage through something. "I know how you like new textures, Keiden." She shoved a hunk of leather into my hands. "Anyway, I have to go— sending in the mission report and all. . ."

"Thanks, Tenten." Wow. I was _already_ enjoying this book!

"No problem. I'll catch up with you later!" Her _ta-tmm_ raced in the direction of Lady Tsunade's office.

"That was really nice of her," I muttered, holding out the texture. "What's the title, Neji?"

A stray strand of hair tickled my cheek as he leaned over my shoulder.

"The Benefits of Hypnosis."


	24. Chapter 24

"_You wanted to see me, Itachi?" _

"_Keiden." The soft _ba-loom_ of the Uchiha's heart snaked mysteriously through the air. "This next mission of yours is by far the most important you'll ever undertake." _

"_I'm listening," I replied slowly. _

"_I'll brief you before Zetsu arrives," he said. "You're to infiltrate my native village, Konoha, and use that remarkable memory of yours to gather and store as much information as you possibly can." _

_That sounded easy enough. . . but I'd already considered a few missing details. "There's a very slim chance that I won't arouse suspicion— and the fact that this particular village has a lot of shinobi who know how to invade the mind kinda freaks me out." _

_There was a small chuckle. "I guess I neglected to mention that these shinobi need chakra— both within themselves and their victims— in order to intrude their thoughts." _

"_But what about Ibiki Morino? He has a more. . . unorthodox way of retrieving the memories he's after, and I'm pretty sure this way doesn't include chakra." My confidence was already waning._

"_Which is precisely why I've called you here: I've found just the way to protect your mind. However, we must wait until—" _

_I instinctively turned toward the sound of something pushing itself out of the ground, a crusty _crrrrk_ followed by a dry _ha-dom.

"_Just in time, Zetsu," Itachi remarked. _

"_Hope this doesn't take too long," a deep voice grumbled— _Black Zetsu_, I reminded myself. The tenor tone continued with, "I was just about to finish off my lunch. . ." I couldn't help but shiver at my plant-like friend's raw meat fetish. _

"_It shouldn't. Now, listen carefully— Keiden, I'm going to hypnotize you, to erase every memory you've ever had. At the same time, Zetsu will play specific recordings, simply for you to have a small base to work with the moment you wake up." _

_This piqued my interest. "Just _how_ small is this base gonna be?"_

"_You'll only be able to recognize three people when the hypnosis is complete: Kabuto Yakushi—"_

"_Sasori's spy?" I interjected. _

"_We have to make sure he doesn't leak any more valuable Akatsuki information to people like Orochimaru. I'm certain you'll have to interact with him at some point, even though he doesn't reside in Konoha; and when you do, I want you to kill him."_

"_Okay. . . will I still remember that I have to kill him?"_

"_No," Itachi said. "But there isn't a doubt in my mind that you'll be the one to end his life."_

_I didn't question him— Itachi's reasoning was never wrong when it came to matters like this. _

"_Besides Kabuto, the two others you'll remember are Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuga. You've heard of Haruno before— she's a well-known medic in the village, and the amount of information you can gather from her will be utterly indispensable."_

"_And the Hyuga?" I pressed. "You don't want the Byakugan, do you?"_

"_We have no desire for such a bloodline limit, since we have you. Your sensory capabilities are more powerful than the Byakugan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan combined." _

_I still wasn't quite getting it. "Then why recognize him?" _

_Black Zetsu gave a dark laugh. "Isn't it obvious? You're gonna—" _

"_Enough, Zetsu," Itachi said sharply. "Keiden, you're going to need to familiarize yourself with somebody during the course of this mission, and after thinking it over, I've decided that Neji Hyuga is just the person. Your influence is astounding— it won't take long for him to trust you."_

"_D'you want me to kill him, too? And Haruno?"_

"_No. You're to make friends with them, that's all. Earning their trust is key— it will make everything that much easier," Itachi answered calmly. "Any other questions?"_

_I quickly replayed my instructions in my head, searching for any gaps. "One. My apparent imperviousness to chakra. Won't that be a little _too_ odd to the villagers, especially coming from a stranger?"_

"_It's odd, even to us— but we were all born with quirks. You have nothing to worry about," he countered smoothly. "Now, are you ready?"_

_I sighed. "Yeah."_

"_Good. Zetsu?" _

"_Recordings are set," White Zetsu replied. _

_Itachi's pulse was suddenly right next to me. "I want you to relax, Keiden. You won't feel a thing."_

"_All right," I said. _

"_And one more thing— the moment you remember everything, you're to return immediately to this hideout." _

"_Understood." _

"_Then let's begin." His cold palms were at my temples, and he pressed his forehead to mine. "Close your eyes— I can't risk making eye contact for this. I'll be talking, but you mustn't listen to my voice. You're to focus solely on Zetsu's recordings. Only then will this process be a success."_

_My eyelids obediently fluttered shut. _

"_Go, Zetsu," Itachi breathed. _

Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . .

Bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm. . .

Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . .

Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . .

Bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm. . .

Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . .

Bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum, bo-dum, bo-dum bo-dum. . .

Bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm bdm. . .

Buh-dummm, buh-dummm, buh-dummm. . .


	25. Chapter 25

My hands hurt, fingers clasping the solid rectangle to the point of strain. ". . . hypnosis. . ." I said, shaking my head. It took me a moment to remember where I was.

"Are you all right?"

Neji. He was here, too. _Stay calm, Keiden. . ._ "Oh, yes. Just a little tired, I guess."

"Do you want to head home?" he asked quietly, concern painting every syllable.

"Actually, there's something I forgot to tell Tenten, and I should let her know before I forget again. . ." My excuses were becoming lamer by the second. "This pregnancy keeps stealing my train of thought from me."

He didn't say anything— he probably saw right through my little act, which would only encourage him to stay by my side.

Edgy, I glued a grin on top of my lying teeth. "I can make it there myself. I'll meet you at the Compound very soon." Before he could object, my lips found his cheek, and I slipped the book into his hands. Without another word, I walked away.

_Lady Tsunade. . . gotta tell Lady Tsunade. . ._

I was suddenly extremely paranoid, as if my revelation had silently alerted the ANBU squad and now they were coming after me. It took every ounce of self-control I had to keep myself from sprinting to the Hokage's office. Frightened, I put a hand to my womb; the baby hadn't been moving for quite some time.

"It's okay," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "Almost there. . ."

Taking a moment to sniff out the faint trail of sake, I plowed onward, grateful nobody was in the mood to stop me for a quick chat. The toe of my sandal bumped the first stair in no time.

_One. . . two. . .three. . . four. . . five. . . _

By the time I made it to the final step, my back was aching, a trait that instantly plagued me as unusual. My journey to Tsunade's door had become a bit slower. I raised a hand to knock—

"Who is it?" a voice barked from the other side of the thick wood. _Well, she isn't the Hokage for nothing. . ._

"It's Keiden, Lady Hokage," I said calmly. "May I come in?"

There was a pause. "Sure."

Pushing the door open, I stepped into the airy room, greeted at once by the telltale muffle that was Tsunade's heartbeat.

"Sit down, sit down," she instructed, her pulse making its way toward me and steering me to something that _rikk-rikk_ed beneath me when I was seated. "You're looking well."

"Thanks." My lower back still ached, but I just attributed it to my recent climb.

"So," Tsunade said. "What is it?"

The bluntness of her question deserved an answer of a similar nature. Taking a deep breath— still terrified about what I'd discovered— I stated, "I'm so sorry."

"What on earth for? It's not like you came barging into my office— certain knuckleheads should take lessons from you—"

"I'm not who you think I am," I interrupted. I couldn't believe it had come to this; after all the time I'd spent here. . . why now?

Tsunade seemed to understand immediately, for she responded with, "Well?"

"Well?" I echoed, my breathing already quickening.

"Well, aren't you going to attempt to kill me? Well, why haven't you escaped from the village? Well. . . what are you going to do?" The last part had been spoken in a tender whisper.

I put my head in my hands. "I'm going to tell you everything."

And I did: I told her that I was an Akatsuki spy, that my mission was to steal information, that Kabuto's death was always meant to be by my own hand, that I was supposed to return to the hideout. . .

"But I can't do that," I said shakily. "I can't go back there."

"I know," Tsunade said, her voice tense enough to put a new pressure on the atmosphere. "So. . . when're you planning on asking your husband to end your life?"

I flinched. _Again, so blunt._ "Tonight. We can't let it go on much longer." My control was cracking.

There was a strong hand on my shoulder. "The baby?"

At that, I burst into tears. "I don't know. . . I don't know. . ." I clutched my stomach, almost _willing_ it to give me an answer. All I got was a sharp cramp. "Ouch," I hissed under my breath.

"Keiden?" Tsunade sounded even more worried now.

Sniffing, I launched into another gruesome housekeeping item. "I remembered my past while alone with N-Neji. I lost control, charging at him. His immediate reaction was to defend himself."

"I. . . I understand." The hand that still rested on my shoulder gave it a squeeze. "Keiden. . ."

"I have to go," I said quickly, standing after another wave of pain sliced through my abdomen. "It will be tonight, Lady Tsunade."

She helped me to the door, an action I didn't have the heart to object to. "You'll be honored for this."

I shook my head. "Please. . . don't. The fact that my husband and I will be destroying another threat to the village is honorable enough."

Tsunade released my arm, and, in turn, I hugged her, pressing my ear against something large and rather soft.

_Oh. . . so _that's_ why her heartbeat's always so hard to hear. . . _

"Thank you," I said faintly.

"For what?" the Hokage asked, awkwardly patting the top of my head.

"For giving me the trust I never deserved."


	26. Chapter 26

There was yet another light, tapping sound. "Keiden? Are you all right?"

As the cramps intensified, I held my breath, trying not to cry out. "Just. . ." I winced. "Tummy troubles. Remind me not to take up Naruto's offer on another trip to Ichiraku's," I continued weakly, curling into a ball while maintaining my seated position.

_I should've known. . . I should've known_. . . Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, burning my skin and landing with a _tuh, tuh, tuh_ on my shirt. I held my stomach tightly, afraid I was going to be sick; the trail of fire that ended with the heavy flow between my legs was anything but comfortable. "It's for the best," I mouthed, my heart wrenching at the truth of those words.

I cleaned myself as well as I could before limping to the door, the muscles of my thighs twisting into throbbing knots. Searching for the doorknob, I turned it with a shaking hand.

"My shirt's getting uncomfortable. . . d'you mind if I borrow one of yours?" I didn't know how to tell Neji yet. . . and things were happening too quickly; before I'd know what hit me, I'd be—

Something familiar and flowing tickled my fingers— Neji's pajama shirt. "Thanks," I told him, pouring as much gratitude as I possibly could into that single word and closing the door. I held in the sobs that threatened to overpower me as I removed my own shirt and slipped Neji's over my head; it smelled so much like him. . .

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

I had to keep this act up for just a little longer, but I was so tired. I navigated my way to his bed and brought my knees a bit closer to my chest. "I'm okay," I murmured invitingly. _Please, stay with me, Neji._

His weight soon hit the mattress, and all I wanted to do was hold him, touch him—

A hand that could only be his brushed my ribs, making me jump.

"The skin's a little sensitive right now. . ." I lied, hating myself for denying him intimacy. Concentrating on the _buh-dummm_ beside me, I tried coming up with a way to tell him that. . . that our baby. . . was. . .

I twitched awake, the plan formulating itself with every blink. "Much better." I found Neji's hand. "Are you tired?"

"Not at all." His lips touched my forehead.

"D'you mind taking a walk with me, then?" I said quietly. Sensing his hesitation, I continued imploringly with, "Just in the garden. I'm feeling kind of stiff."

His strong hands lifted me from the bed, and he kept an arm around my shoulders as he guided me to Hinata's garden. The scent of newborn lilies danced lovingly through the air.

"It was fun, helping Hinata plant these." I remembered how hard we'd laughed when we'd tried watering them; we'd ended up spraying each other every time. "She made me promise to take care of them whenever she went away on missions." _Hinata. . . I'm gonna miss her. . ._ "You know. . . promises can be such beautiful things. But they're also terrifying. I mean, once you make a promise, no matter what it is, you can't break it."

Neji didn't seem to be getting it, which stung— this was going to kill us both.

"I remember," I confessed in a whisper, facing his heartbeat and using my eyes in an attempt to tell him the rest. _Please, please don't make me say it out loud!_

"You. . . remember. . .?"

"Everything," I said, defeated.

My fingers found the holster at Neji's hip, but he made no move to stop me. Heart cracking, I removed his kunai and reached for the hand I knew as well as my own, placing the knife into his palm.

"You can't break your promise, Neji," I said softly. A sound I never, _ever_ wanted to hear come from my husband again caused my eyes to close tightly. "I'm a spy for the Akatsuki. I'm the enemy," I finished shakily, cursing myself for my lax in control.

Neji's heartbeat headed swiftly toward the ground, stopping at a point level with my waist.

"Listen to me," I whispered. "I'll explain everything as quickly as I can: the title of Tenten's book acted as a trigger. _Hypnosis. _Itachi Uchiha doesn't need his Sharingan to put people under his control— he knows the inner workings of the mind almost as well as Ibiki Morino does— but I don't think he expected me to remember my mission until the moment I was to return to the Akatsuki hideout. My mission was to infiltrate Konoha and commit every scrap of information I could gather to memory—"

"You're lying. . . please. . . tell me you're _lying_. . ."

_I wish I _was_ lying._ "I knew your name, Neji. And you wanted to know how."

"No. . . stop it. . ." The agony in his voice almost brought me to my knees.

_He needs to know everything, Keiden_. "Zetsu records many things. He recorded your voice when you, your team, and Team Kakashi were sent to save Gaara from the Akatsuki, all those years ago. He always relayed his recordings to us; and when Itachi hypnotized me, he only wanted me to remember the voices of three people when the trance took affect: Kabuto, because he was a spy for Sasori. . . Sakura, because she's a renowned medic and her information is invaluable. . . and you." _Because both Zetsu and Itachi knew I'd fall in love with you. . . they'll pay for this. . ._ "When my mission is complete, I'm supposed to go back to them." I pressed my palm against my eyes, holding in the tears. "I don't _want_ to go back to them."

"I'll hide you. They'll never find you."

"It's not me that I'm worried about! Besides, if you hide me, they'll come _here_. They'll kill anyone who gets in their way." I shuddered inwardly at this grim prospect. "You _have_ to kill me. Word of my death will spread in a matter of days. They'll leave you alone—"

"You're _pregnant_!" Neji cried.

"I miscarried!" I countered without thinking. _I. . . I miscarried. . . _

This time, I really did fall to the ground, and the tears I'd worked so hard to contain began pooling over. The realization that our baby, that little Hizashi, was actually gone— it was too much to handle. And telling Neji what I'd planned on naming our child wasn't an option at this point, which ripped at my heart even more.

"Please. . . Neji," I wept. "I already told Lady Tsunade. It has to be tonight."

Suddenly, he was at my side, helping me to my feet. The carefulness of his movements told me one thing: he wasn't going to be able to do it.

"You promised," I reminded him, cursing my stupid tears. "You promised. . ."

At that moment, I decided I'd have to take matters into my own hands: focusing for the final time, I picked up the sound of Neji's sleeve raising itself a few inches and the metallic smell of his kunai coming closer to my face, leveling itself with my heart.

"Keiden. . . I can't do it. . . I-I can't—"

I lunged at him, clamping my lips together as I missed and the tip of his kunai dug deeper and deeper into my abdomen.

"You p-promised," I coughed, feeling myself falling again.

"No. . . n-no." His arms were around me once more, and I gently hit the ground. "No, please. . . _please_. . ."

"S-shh. . ." I coughed again, tasting blood. A quivering hand held my head up.

Neji's thoughts were screaming in ways that frightened me; I knew he was figuring out a way to save me.

"No," I breathed, resting a hand on the knife and preserving every cry within my throat. "It's all r-right. I-I can't feel. . . it any. . . more," I lied. This pain didn't matter, anyway. _Spare him. . . spare him. . ._

I reached for him, yearning to touch his face. "You're. . . s-safe." The skin of his cheek was ecstasy. . . his own hand held mine. . . I could die happily. . .

Now, blissfully numb, I gave a small smile. This was it—

"Neji. . . Hyuga."


End file.
